Indian carrier Akasa Air is set to expand its operations, with the airline planning to start its first international service – connecting Mumbai and Doha, Qatar.
Asaka Air Boeing 737-8, Image, Akasa Air.
The new service will operate four times a week, connecting Mumbai and Doha together. The planned timetable is as follows:
| Flt.
number |
From | Depart | To | Arrival | Operates | |
| QP70 | Mumbai | 17:45 | Doha | 19:40 | Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday | |
| QP71 | Doha | 20:40 | Mumbai | 02:45+1 | Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday |
The airline will utlise its Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft on this route, with lead-in prices starting at INR 29012 return.
Tickets will be available from the airline’s usual sale channels (website, apps) as well as through the usual distribution channels.
In Quotes
Vinay Dube, Founder and CEO, Akasa Air said,
We are delighted to announce our international operations with the launch of our first destination – Doha, to our growing network. The introduction of four flights a week, connecting directly with Mumbai, a key Indian commercial hub, will cater to a diverse set of travellers 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”,
“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 travellers will enjoy the signature Akasa experience, and that we will emerge as the preferred carrier on the route”
A busy route
It’s going open more competition and choice on the Mumbai-Doha pair, with carriers of all service levels serving, including Air India, Qatar Airways, IndiGo, and Vistara all operating at the time of writing.
With Akasa Air meeting the requirements to commence intentional services (and around 19 months from service commencement), the airline appears to be eyeing growth, especially with its Boeing 737 MAX order, as it seeks to drive revenue.
And with 150 aircraft joining, Akasa Air will be eyeing what routes are viable with its fleet.
Whilst four flights a week isn’t much in the grand scheme of things, it will allow the airline to learn about international operations, as well as provide the base for it to expand when it is ready to push the button to expand the operation.
In the longer term, this could be very interesting.
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