Akasa Air Soars: Expansion Plans and Challenges Ahead

Akasa Air is planning international expansion, including flights to Singapore, Vietnam, and Kazakhstan, amid challenges such as aircraft delivery delays. The airline, which currently has a fleet of 30 planes, aims to start new services from Delhi and Jewar. Despite recent flight cancellations due to new FDTL norms, the airline reports significant growth in ASKs and revenues.

Akasa Air is making strides towards international expansion with plans to start flights to new overseas destinations such as Singapore, Vietnam, and Kazakhstan. This comes as the airline eagerly anticipates faster deliveries from Boeing for its fleet expansion, according to Praveen Iyer, Akasa Air's Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer, on Monday.

The young airline, which already serves 24 domestic and six international destinations, has faced some turbulence with aircraft delivery delays. However, with a firm order for 226 Boeing 737 MAX planes, Akasa is optimistic about speeding up its growth trajectory. The airline is also eyeing new services from Delhi and the upcoming Jewar airport in Uttar Pradesh.

Despite recent challenges, including flight cancellations due to new Flight Duty Time Limitation norms, Akasa Air has shown resilience with a significant 50% growth in ASKs and revenues. The airline remains committed to identifying destinations with demand, while maintaining a balanced approach to capacity, pricing, and profitability.

(With inputs from agencies.)