MUMBAI- Akasa Air (QP), a budget-friendly airline, is preparing to extend its routes to cities in Western Asia, with plans to introduce additional international destinations in areas like Southeast Asia and East Africa.
Vinay Dubey, the co-founder and CEO of Akasa Air, told Business Standard reporter, “Our vision is to operate an airline that places a strong emphasis on service quality and reliability while maintaining a cost structure that enables us to compete effectively on a global scale.”
Akasa Air CEO Interview by BS Hightlights
While speaking to Ajinkya Kawale from Business Standard, the Akasa Air CEO shared the airline’s future plans and talked about pilots, new routes, and more in detail, which you can read from our source link. But here, we will share the highlights from the interview.
Q. The airline has recently been granted the right to operate flights to four cities in Western Asia, namely Riyadh, Jeddah, Doha, and Kuwait. Besides these locations, which international regions are you planning to emphasize in the future?
A. Our goal is to establish a global presence, not limited to West Asia alone. Our Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, specifically in its category, boasts the most extended range.
We are considering a diverse array of destinations, encompassing Southeast Asia, Western Asia, countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States, and East Africa, as well as locations like Male (Maldives), Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, and any other countries that can be reached within a six-hour flight radius.
Q. Can you outline the anticipated breakdown between international and domestic routes for the airline by the conclusion of 2025?
A. We are unable to offer a precise forecast in this regard as it is contingent upon the traffic allocations and slot rights we secure in one country relative to another.
However, it’s worth noting that we expect to accomplish more in terms of international routes by the conclusion of our second year of operations than what typically took other airlines a decade to achieve.
In a span of five years, we project that our international route achievements will surpass the accomplishments that most airlines attained over a period of 15 to 20 years in the past.
Not for Market Share But to Provide Quality Service
Q. In a landscape where India is home to major carriers like IndiGo and the Tata Group airlines, how do you intend to expand Akasa Air’s presence in the country significantly?
A. Our primary objective does not revolve around achieving specific market-share targets. Instead, our approach focuses on cultivating contented customers and optimizing our cost structure. India’s aviation landscape is vast enough to accommodate more than four airlines.
Our vision is to operate an airline that places a strong emphasis on service quality and reliability while also maintaining a cost structure that enables us to compete effectively in any market. This, we believe, is the key to success.
Q. Do you anticipate Akasa facing competitive pressures from the prominent domestic airlines in India?
A. Not at all. Consider the United States, where four major airlines collectively hold more than 80 percent of the market share, and yet, none of them feel squeezed. In fact, the smaller airlines are often more profitable than their larger counterparts.
You can read the full article here: Looking at a mix of int’l destinations, not just West Asia: Akasa Air CEO (business-standard.com)
Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.
Join us on Telegram Group for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on Google News.
