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Indian carrier Akasa Air is gearing up for its next phase of international expansion, with plans to operate flights to Kenya, Ethiopia, Egypt, and several other destinations in East Africa. The three-year-old airline, which has steadily grown its network since launching in 2022, is also preparing to announce new services to Sharjah soon, according to Chief Executive Officer Vinay Dube. In an interview with PTI, Dube said Akasa’s fleet of 30 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft is “fully capable” of flying to destinations across East Africa and South Asia. “Our aircraft can easily reach Mauritius, Kenya, Ethiopia, Egypt, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. All of these will be considered,” he said. Expanding horizons beyond the Middle East Currently, Akasa Air flies to six international destinations — Doha (Qatar), Jeddah, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Abu Dhabi (UAE), Kuwait City (Kuwait), and Phuket (Thailand) — along with 24 domestic cities across India. According to Dube, the airline’s Available Seat Kilometres (ASK) — a measure of passenger-carrying capacity — currently stands at 20% international and 80% domestic. Akasa plans to increase the international share to around 30% by March 2027, as it adds more overseas routes. “Our international expansion is continuing on the right path,” Dube said, adding that the airline is optimistic about its delivery schedule for Boeing aircraft, which had earlier faced global production delays. Fleet growth and Boeing delivery schedule The US Federal Aviation Administration recently cleared Boeing to increase production of its 737 MAX aircraft from 38 to 42 planes per month, improving delivery timelines for airlines worldwide. Akasa Air currently has a firm order for 226 Boeing 737 MAX jets, with Dube confirming that the airline expects to add “more than one aircraft this year.” “We feel very good about our delivery schedule. There is much more predictability now,” he said. Focus on pilots and partnerships With a workforce of around 750–775 pilots, Akasa expects to resume pilot hiring in 2026, primarily for first officer positions. “We will have a need for pilots in the second half of next year, so we will restart the hiring process well before that,” Dube said. Akasa is also exploring codeshare and interline partnerships to strengthen its global connectivity. While it already has a codeshare agreement with Etihad Airways, Dube indicated that more collaborations could be announced in the next financial year. “We need to be a little bigger to be an attractive partner for more codeshare and interline agreements,” he added. Codeshare partnerships allow airlines to sell seats on each other’s flights under a shared flight number, while interline agreements enable passengers to book multiple airlines under one itinerary. Regulatory compliance and financial strength Addressing recent observations by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Dube confirmed that all issues raised during routine audits had been resolved to the regulator’s satisfaction. “All airlines have observations during audits. We addressed every one of them, and there are no safety concerns whatsoever,” he said. On funding, Dube stressed that Akasa remains well-capitalised and is eyeing an Initial Public Offering (IPO) within the next two to five years. In August 2025, the airline raised fresh capital from investors including Premji Invest and Claypond Capital, with the funds earmarked for network expansion and fleet growth. Future plans and aircraft mix When asked about possible expansion into wide-body or regional aircraft, Dube said the airline continues to evaluate opportunities, but any move will depend on long-term financial viability. “If we find it sustainably positive, we will look at wide-body aircraft. But so far, our analysis has not shown that it’s beneficial for us,” he said. For now, Akasa will continue offering an all-economy configuration, aligning with its focus on affordable air travel and sustainable growth.
