Akasa Air to launch commercial operation from August 7

New Delhi, July 22

Akasa Air, the airline promoted by billionaire investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, is set to launch its commercial operation with its first flight on August 7 on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route.

The airline said that it will deploy a Boeing 737 Max plane on the route for commercial operation. Flight operations will be conducted on two Boeing 737 Max aircraft. Boeing has already delivered one aircraft and the second one will be delivered later this month.

Akasa Air, in a statement issued on Friday, said it has begun sale of tickets on 28 flights that will operate weekly on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route from August 7 as well as 28 flights on the Bengaluru-Kochi route from August 13.

"We kick-start operations with flights between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, with the brand-new Boeing 737 Max aircraft," said Praveen Iyer, Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer, Akasa Air.

"We will adopt a phased approach to support our network expansion plans, progressively connecting more cities, as we add two aircraft to our fleet each month, in our first year," Iyer added.

Akasa Air is one of the most awaited low-cost airlines to enter the aviation industry. The airline had got operator certificate from the civil aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) earlier this month.