India’s fastest-growing airline Akasa Air announces operations from Jeddah; expands its presence in the Middle East

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Akasa Air, India’s fastest-growing airline, announced operations from Jeddah, the second international destination on its network, further expanding its presence in the Middle East. Starting 15^th July 2024, Akasa Air will operate daily direct flights connecting Jeddah with Mumbai and will further ramp up this connectivity to operate 12 direct flights a week effective 21^st July 2024. The launch of operations from Mumbai will be followed by the commencement of 2 weekly direct flights connecting Jeddah with Ahmedabad effective 20^th July 2024.

Bookings for flights are now open on Akasa Air’s website www.akasaair.com, Android and iOS app and through multiple leading OTAs.

Akasa Air was born to make air travel inclusive and affordable through its commitment to quality product and service excellence. The airline’s category re-defining offerings and warm and reliable service have generated an extremely positive response amongst travellers in India and Doha. With its foray into Jeddah, the airline aims to extend the Akasa experience to the growing number of travellers on the routes.

Saudi Arabia witnessed a 50% increase in Indian visitors in 2023, and the launch of direct flights connecting Jeddah with Ahmedabad and Mumbai will contribute to the country’s aim to host 7.5 million Indian visitors by 2031.

Commenting on the announcement, Neelu Khatri, Co-Founder and SVP International, Akasa Air said “At Akasa Air, we take pride in being the fastest-growing, most reliable, customer-centric and environmentally progressive airline in the world. We are excited to bring the signature Akasa experience to Jeddah, our second destination in the Middle East.

Jeddah offers a unique blend of commerce, heritage, and culture, accentuated by its scenic Red Sea coastline. The city attracts a diverse range of travellers from India, and the launch of direct flights connecting Jeddah with two prime Indian cities - Mumbai and Ahmedabad will foster connectivity between the two regions and also enable travellers from Saudi Arabia to explore India with our wide network in the country”.

Belson Coutinho, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing and Experience Officer, Akasa Air said Customers are at the heart of everything we do, and travellers on the route can look forward to a category re-defining flying experience with our inflight dining service Café Akasa, spacious cabins with generous legroom, and in-seat charging facilities with the provision of USB ports in most of our aircraft. Our newest offerings such as Skyscore by Akasa and QuietFlights will further elevate their inflight experience.

As we progress on our journey to become one of the top 30 airlines in the world by the turn of this decade, we will continue to rapidly expand our footprint to offer our customers a holistic global air network backed by a world-class travel experience.”

Praveen Iyer, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer further shared, “Our strategically designed connections linking Jeddah with two key Indian cities - Mumbai and Ahmedabad will cater to a variety of tourists, fostering bilateral trade and tourism. As India’s leader in on-time performance with a steadfast focus on reliability and the highest standards of safety, we will continue to augment our global footprint in the coming months, building a holistic air network that provides access to affordable travel and connects people, places, and cultures”.

Akasa Air launched operations in Doha on 28^th March 2024, and the addition of Jeddah to the airline’s network further bolsters its presence in the Middle East. The airline has also been granted traffic rights for two other destinations in the Middle East namely Kuwait, and Riyadh, and will be rapidly expanding its footprint in the region in the coming months.

With sustainability at the core of Akasa Air's values, the airline has emerged as one of the greenest and most environmentally progressive airline in the world. Akasa Air has taken several steps to reduce its environmental impact, including fuel-efficient engines, sustainably curated crew uniforms and eco-friendly inflight meal packaging. It is the only Indian airline to opt out of the ceremonial water cannon salutes at flight and route inaugurations to conserve water which has resulted in saving approximately 3,68,000 litres of water to date.

Akasa Air has introduced multiple quality products and differentiated services to ensure an inclusive, warm and comfortable flying experience. Its brand-new fleet provides ample legroom and enhanced comfort and comes with USB ports in a majority of aircraft, allowing passengers to charge their gadgets and devices on the go. Café Akasa, the airline’s onboard meal service offers an assortment of healthy and delectable meals, including festive menus and industry-first options such as Kombucha, to offer customers an indulgent gourmet experience in the skies. Skyscore by Akasa provides live scores of all major sporting events onboard, and the airline’s QuietFlights experience offers a restful and undisturbed inflight journey on early morning and late-night flights. In addition, in an endeavour to make travel inclusive, Akasa Air has introduced its safety instruction card and onboard menu card in Braille for persons with visual impairment. Travelers who wish to explore Jeddah can choose to plan their travel with Akasa Holidays which offers customisable and all-inclusive holiday packages at affordable prices.

Akasa Air’s consistent on-time leadership, operational efficiencies and extremely positive customer feedback have made it a preferred carrier in India, resulting in average passenger load factors of over 85% for the past 12 months.

Since its launch in August 2022, Akasa Air has served over 8 million passengers and connects with 24 cities, namely Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, Delhi, Guwahati, Agartala, Pune, Lucknow, Goa, Hyderabad, Varanasi, Bagdogra, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Port Blair, Ayodhya, Gwalior, Srinagar, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Doha (Qatar), and Jeddah (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia).

Special limited-period flights

In addition to its regular schedule, the airline will also operate a number of special flights between Mumbai and Jeddah in June 2024 to ease the underserved route and provide customers with more options to travel during peak seasons.

Flight schedule:

About Akasa Air:

Akasa Air is India’s most dependable airline, offering warm and efficient customer service, reliable operations, and affordable fares - all in the Akasa Way. Akasa’s youthful personality, employee-centric philosophy, tech-led approach, and culture of service make this commitment a reality for all Indians.

The carrier launched its first commercial flight on 07 August 2022 to support the growing demand across India and commenced international operations on 28 March 2024, offering non-stop flights from Mumbai to Doha. This milestone makes it the first Indian airline to fly overseas within a record period of just 19 months. Since its inception, Akasa Air has served over 8 million passengers and connects 24 cities.

With a clear focus on sustained, long-term growth, Akasa Air has placed a firm order of 226 Boeing 737 MAX airplanes, powered by CFM fuel-efficient, LEAP-1B engines. It currently operates 24 737 MAX aircraft which delivers superior efficiency in reducing fuel use and carbon emissions. The aircraft also powers a quieter cabin with 40 per cent less noise fulfilling the airline's promise of being an environmentally progressive company with the youngest and greenest fleet in the Indian skies.

For more information visit www.akasaair.com
or via X: @AkasaAir
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/akasaair/

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