India's newest airline, Akasa Air has announced that it will allow pets to be carried on board from November 1, the bookings for which will begin from October 15.
The airline said it will allow one pet per person on board with weight up to 7 kgs. Passengers can carry domesticated dogs or cats in a cage on board the flight.
"In our first phase of pet policy we will allow domesticated cats and dogs. We will progressively enhance our pet policy going forward," Belson Coutinho Co-Founder and Chief Marketing & Experience Officer at Akasa Air said in a press conference.
Furthermore, for pets weighing between 7 kgs to 32 kgs the airline will carry pets in cages in their luggage hold, Coutinho added.
The airline is working with Umeedforanimals, a non-government organisation, for best practices to handle pets on flights.
While Akasa Air did not disclose details of pricing to carry pet on board Akasa Air flights, they said that they will help their customers have a smooth experience while travelling with pets.
At the moment Air India, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and Vistara already allow pets on board, IndiGo and Air Asia do not offer such a facility unless it's a service animal such as a guide dog for a blind man.
Praveen Iyer, Co-Founder plus Chief Commercial Officer, Akasa Air further added that October 7, will see be the date for the first flight of Akasa Air out of Delhi, to Bangalore. The company expects to see 300 flights per week by October end.
Akasa Air plans to connect eight cities this year that are Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Chennai, Delhi, Agartala and Guwahati.
Will be connecting more cities with more aircraft coming in, Iyer added.
The airline currently has 6 aircrafts, and it will be adding an aircraft every 15 days, said Vinay Dube, founder and CEO, Akasa Air. "We are on target to receive 18 aircraft in total by the end of this financial year, 72 in 5 years."
Akasa Air's fleet size will be 18 aircraft by the end of March 2023.
Akasa Air started operations in August 2022 and was backed by the late ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala.
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