Akasa Air is exploring new international routes to Kenya, Ethiopia, Egypt, and other destinations, as the airline’s three-year-old operations gain momentum. Chief Executive Officer and founder Vinay Dube said the carrier now feels “very good” about the delivery schedule of its Boeing aircraft.
Reaffirming that Akasa Air’s international expansion remains on track, Dube said the airline will soon announce new flights to Sharjah.
Currently operating a fleet of 30 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, Akasa Air expects to add “more than one aircraft” by the end of this year. According to Dube, the 737 MAX fleet has the range to serve destinations across East Africa, including Mauritius, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Egypt, as well as Central Asia, such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. “All will be considered,” he told PTI in an interview.
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At present, the airline flies to six international destinations: Doha (Qatar), Jeddah and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Abu Dhabi (UAE), Kuwait City (Kuwait), and Phuket (Thailand).
Dube noted that international operations now account for about 20% of the airline’s Available Seat Kilometres (ASK), with the share expected to rise to 30% by March 2027. ASK is a key measure of an airline’s passenger capacity.
Akasa Air currently employs around 750–775 pilots and plans to restart pilot hiring in 2026, primarily for first officer positions. “We’ll need pilots in the second half of next year, so we’ll begin the hiring process well before that,” Dube said, adding that the airline now has better predictability regarding aircraft deliveries.
Production delays have affected Boeing 737 MAX deliveries, but earlier this month, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cleared Boeing to increase production from 38 to 42 aircraft per month. Akasa Air has a firm order for 226 Boeing 737 MAX planes.
Looking ahead, the airline expects to establish codeshare and interline partnerships in the next financial year. Dube noted that Akasa Air must grow further to become a more attractive partner for such collaborations. Currently, it has a codeshare agreement with Etihad Airways.
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Addressing reports of operational lapses flagged by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Dube said all issues were routine and had been resolved. “All the observations have been addressed to the satisfaction of the regulator, and there is no cause for safety concern,” he said.
Regarding funding, Dube confirmed that Akasa Air remains well-capitalised and is considering an Initial Public Offering (IPO) within the next 2 to 5 years. In August, the airline raised funds from investors, including Premji Invest and Claypond Capital, to support its expansion plans.
Regarding future fleet plans, Dube said Akasa Air continues to evaluate the potential to introduce wide-body or regional aircraft, but will proceed only if it makes long-term economic sense. “If we find it sustainably positive for us, we’ll enter the wide-body segment. So far, our analysis hasn’t indicated that,” he said.
The airline currently operates a single-class configuration, offering only economy seating across its fleet.