- Pet travel saw the highest demand during the festive season, with October–December accounting for nearly 35% of annual journeys and monthly volumes nearly 63% higher, reflecting a growing trend of pet parents travelling together with their pets during holidays.
- Bengaluru–Delhi–Bengaluru emerges as the most popular pet travel route, accounting for 13.66% of all pet travel
TTT NEWS NETWORK
NEW DELHI | 20 FEBRUARY 2026
Akasa Air, India’s fastest-growing airline, announced a significant milestone of flying over 10,000 pets since the launch of its ‘Pets on Akasa’ service in November 2022, reaffirming its position as India’s most dependable and pet-friendly carrier.
The milestone reflects the growing trust pet parents place in Akasa Air’s thoughtfully designed pet travel offering, anchored in safety, comfort and convenience. Since its launch, the service has seen consistent demand across key domestic routes, with repeat travel emerging as a strong indicator of customer confidence.
To mark the milestone, Akasa Air acknowledged the journey of its 10,000th pet traveller, Topshe, on flight QP 1559 from Mumbai to Kolkata with a small on-ground celebration at check-in, including photographs and videos, along with the presentation of special giveaways to the pet parent by airline representatives. The occasion was also acknowledged onboard and upon arrival in Kolkata, making it a meaningful moment in Akasa Air’s pet travel journey.
Key insights:
- 10,000+ pets flown across the network since launch
- Pet travel saw the highest demand during the festive season, with October–December accounting for nearly 35% of annual journeys and monthly volumes nearly 63% higher, reflecting a growing trend of pet parents travelling together with their pets during holidays.
- From Labradors and Golden Retrievers to Shih Tzus and Indies, pets across breeds have taken to the skies, indicating the mainstreaming of pet travel
- Beyond metro cities, strong demand has emerged from Tier II and Tier III markets, with Guwahati among the most travelled routes for pet parents
- Of the 10000 furry travellers, 60% pets were dogs and 40% were cats.
- 93% of pets travelled in-cabin, highlighting a strong preference for pets to fly alongside their parents
- Akasa Air has also seen remarkable loyalty from individual customers. One pet parent has flown 26 times on the Mumbai–Goa route with his miniature poodle, Romeo, a testament to the consistency and reliability of Akasa Air’s pet travel experience.
Commenting on the milestone, Naarayan T V, Chief Marketing Officer, Akasa Air, said, “From the very start, Pets on Akasa was built around the needs of pet parents, with a focus on creating a structured, safe and consistently dependable travel experience. By actively listening to feedback and continually enhancing the service, we have earned strong loyalty. 26% of pet parents have travelled with us more than once, which reflects the trust they place in the experience. This milestone strengthens our commitment to elevating pet travel in India and ensuring every journey is safer, more comfortable, and truly stress free for pets and their families.”
Akasa Air has continuously evolved its pet travel offering based on customer feedback, introducing thoughtful enhancements such as allowing up to three pets per flight, increasing the in-cabin weight limit to 10 kg (including the carrier), simplifying booking processes, and adopting a more flexible health certification policy. These efforts align with the airline’s broader philosophy of building a warm and reliable flying experience.
Customers travelling with their pets on Akasa Air enjoy a range of complimentary value-added services, including a pre-booked window seat, priority check-in and boarding, ensuring an elevated flying experience. Akasa Air has undertaken extensive research and provided specialised training for its customer care centre, ground services and in-flight teams, highlighting its commitment to delivering the highest standards of care, safety, and comfort throughout the journey. Moreover, Akasa Air has also partnered with Umeed for Animals Foundation, a Gurgaon-based non-profit animal rehabilitation dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating animals. The airline works with the NGO to implement best practices across processes and policies to continuously enhance pet comfort and safety.
Launched on 1st November 2022, Pets on Akasa allows customers to travel on domestic flights across 26 cities with their cats and dogs in the cabin or cargo, based on their weight. As pet ownership continues to rise in India and travel preferences evolve, Akasa Air remains focused on strengthening its position as India’s most trusted airline for pet parents, while continuing to set new benchmarks in reliability, care and customer experience.
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.
Akasa Air’s consistent on-time leadership, operational efficiencies and extremely positive customer feedback have made it a preferred carrier in India, serving over 24 million passengers since its launch in August 2022. Akasa Air currently connects with 26 domestic and six international cities, namely Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, Delhi, Guwahati, Agartala, Pune, Lucknow, Goa, Hyderabad, Varanasi, Bagdogra, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Sri Vijaya Puram, Ayodhya, Gwalior, Srinagar, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Darbhanga, Kozhikode, Navi Mumbai, Dibrugarh, Doha (Qatar), Jeddah, Riyadh (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), Abu Dhabi (UAE), Kuwait City (Kuwait) and Phuket (Thailand).
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 33 737 MAX aircraft which deliver superior efficiency in reducing fuel use and carbon emissions. The aircraft also have 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.
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