Akasa Air has announced its intention to commence international operations. The privately-owned low-cost carrier will add flights from Mumbai (BOM) to Doha (DOH) in Qatar, starting March 28, 2024. Initially, the new non-stop services will operate four times a week, enhancing air connectivity between Qatar and India. Bookings for flights are already on sale via the airline’s website.
The launch of international operations to Qatar marks the airline’s next phase of growth, aimed at taking the airline’s offering beyond the boundaries of India for the first time. Additionally, with the announcement of this new service, Akasa Air becomes the first Indian airline to fly overseas, in a record period of just 19 months since its inception.
“We are delighted to announce our international operations with the launch of our first destination, Doha, to our growing network,” said Vinay Dube, Founder and CEO of Akasa Air. “The introduction of four flights a week, connecting directly with Mumbai, a key Indian commercial hub, will cater to a diverse set of travelers from the two countries, facilitating tourism, commerce and strengthening bilateral ties.”
“Akasa Air is built on a solid foundation of reliability, service excellence, and the highest standards of safety in global aviation. We are proud of our remarkable growth since inception, which is also a testimony of the sheer potential of the Indian aviation industry. Our foray into Qatar marks the next phase of growth as we continue our journey towards becoming one of the world’s top 30 airlines by the turn of this decade”, he added.
“We are driven by our purpose of connecting people, places and cultures, and will continue to augment our global footprint in the coming months. We are confident that travelers will enjoy the signature Akasa experience, and that we will emerge as the preferred carrier on the route”, Vinay concluded.
The launch of operations to Qatar is in line with Qatar Tourism Strategy 2030, which aims to make the country the fastest-growing tourism destination in the Middle East by 2030.
The new flights will depart Mumbai as QP70 at 17.45 and arrive at Doha at 19:40. The return flight will depart Doha at 20:40 and arrive back in Mumbai at 02:45 the following morning.
The carrier launched its first commercial flight on August 7, 2022, to support the growing demand across India and has carried over 7.75 million passengers to date. The airline currently connects 21 cities, namely Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, Delhi, Guwahati, Agartala, Pune, Lucknow, Goa, Hyderabad, Varanasi, Bagdogra, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Port Blair, Ayodhya, Gwalior, Srinagar, and now Doha (Qatar).
The airline currently operates 23 737 MAX aircraft and reported an average passenger load factor of over 85% during 2023.
