AVIATION : AKASA AIR EXPANDS ITS INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE; ADDS JEDDAH AS SECOND DESTINATION

AVIATION : AKASA AIR EXPANDS ITS INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE; ADDS JEDDAH AS SECOND DESTINATION

 

*Commences sale for daily flights connecting Jeddah with Mumbai

*Commences 2 weekly direct flights connecting Jeddah with Ahmedabad

TTT NEWS NETWORK

KOLKATA, 14 MAY 2024:

 

Akasa Air, India’s fastest-growing airline, expanded its global presence by adding Jeddah as the second international destination to its network. Starting 15^th July 2024, Akasa Air will operate daily direct flights connecting Jeddah with Mumbai and will further enhance 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.

Jeddah is a dynamic city in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia known for its rich heritage, historical architecture, culinary offerings, and scenic coastline along the Red Sea making it an attractive destination for a wide spectrum of travellers. It has also emerged as a prime commercial hub owing to its strategic location.

 

Commenting on the announcement, Neelu Khatri, Co-Founder and SVP International, Akasa Air, said “We are thrilled to expand our presence in the Middle East with the addition of Jeddah to our growing network. We are extremely proud to witness our global footprint grow alongside our domestic services, with the addition of our second global destination within a short time.

 

Jeddah’s unique character defined by its distinct heritage and prominence as a commercial hub has gained immense popularity amongst Indian travellers in the past few years, driving an exponential surge in the demand for air travel between the two countries”.

 

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 steadfast focus on reliability and 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”.

 

Commenting on the announcement, Belson Coutinho, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing and Experience Officer, Akasa Air said “We are excited to extend the signature Akasa Experience to Jeddah. Our category re-defining customer offerings will undoubtedly enhance the overall travel experience of tourists on the route.

 

We are confident that travellers will appreciate the industry-first culinary offerings by Café Akasa, our spacious cabins with generous legroom, and in-seat charging with USB ports on most of our aircraft. Our newest offerings such as Skyscore by Akasa and QuietFlights will further elevate their inflight experience.

 

We look forward to delighting our customers with our warm and reliable service and becoming the preferred carrier on the route.”

 

Saudi Arabia witnessed a 50% increase in Indian visitors in 2023, and the launch of direct flights connecting Jeddah with Ahmedabad and Mumbai will support business and leisure tourism as well as bilateral trade between the two countries.

 

Akasa Air launched operations to Doha, the capital of Qatar, 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’s category re-defining offerings, warm and reliable service, and attractive fares have generated an extremely positive response amongst travellers in India and Doha, and with its foray into Jeddah, the airline aims to extend the one-of-a-kind Akasa experience to the growing number of travellers on the route.

 

Akasa Air has also been granted traffic rights for two other international destinations namely Kuwait, and Riyadh, and will be rapidly expanding its global presence in the coming months.

 

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 quiet flight 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.

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:

 

Flt. Number	From City (Airport)	Departure Time	To City (Airport)	Arrival Time	Operating Days	Non-stop/ Through
Special flights- Effective 8th June 2024 to 21st June 2024
QP 0561	Mumbai	1935hrs	Jeddah	2225hrs	Mon, Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun	Non-Stop
QP 0562	Jeddah	2355hrs	Mumbai	0725hrs	Mon, Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun	Non-Stop
Commences 15th July 2024
QP 0561	Mumbai	1935hrs	Jeddah	2255hrs	Daily	Non-Stop
QP 0562	Jeddah	2355hrs	Mumbai	0725hrs	Daily	Non-Stop
Commences 20th July 2024
QP 0563	Ahmedabad	1740hrs	Jeddah	2030hrs	Wed, Sat	Non-Stop
QP 0564	Jeddah	2130hrs	Ahmedabad	0455hrs	Wed, Sat	Non-Stop
Commences 21st July 2024
QP 0559	Mumbai	1740hrs	Jeddah	2030hrs	Mon, Tue, Thurs, Fri, Sun	Non-Stop
QP 0560	Jeddah	2130hrs	Mumbai	0510hrs	Mon, Tue, Thurs, Fri, Sun	Non-Stop

 

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.