Akasa Air is set to launch its first international flight from Bengaluru to Abu Dhabi. In addition to Bengaluru, the airline will commence operations from Ahmedabad tomorrow. Akasa aims to continue to expand both its domestic and international presence, according to Neelu Khatri, Co-founder and SVP, International. The Abu Dhabi flight is part of its codeshare agreement with Etihad Airways.
The new routes complement Akasa Air’s daily service between Mumbai and Abu Dhabi. With this expansion, Akasa Air now operates 21 weekly flights connecting Abu Dhabi with three major Indian cities (Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad).
International flight expansion
Currently, 17 per cent of Akasa’s operations come from international flights, where the airline operates five international destinations including, Riyadh, Jeddah, Doha, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi. Elaborating on the expansion, Khatri mentioned that Akasa aims to extend its network further into Southeast Asia and the northwestern region.
“We are considering destinations such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, along with a few more in the Gulf. Additionally, we are exploring opportunities in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka,” she said.
Additionally, she noted that future expansions will depend on factors such as traffic regulations, bilateral agreements, business feasibility, and approvals from various airports and governments.
Rising operational costs
The airline industry is observing a rise in operational costs. Recently, the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has proposed higher aeronautical and non-aeronautical charges through a variable fee structure to recover expenses borne to build additional infrastructure.
Last year, the Adani-operated Trivandrum airport increased the user development fee (UDF) by 50 percent. Commenting on these rising costs, Khatri said, “Our focus is always on optimising costs wherever possible. There are some areas we can control and others that are beyond our control.”