Akasa Air scales up network, adds Delhi as third base with major route expansion

With a fleet of 30 Boeing 737 MAX planes, Akasa Air currently connects 24 domestic and 6 international cities. It operates over 1,000 flights per week.

Akasa Air on Friday announced a major operational expansion with new routes and increased frequencies across its domestic and international network, effective from the winter schedule starting October 27, according to a company statement.

The airline said total departures from Delhi will increase by around 56% compared to Winter 2024, making the capital city Akasa’s third operational base after Bengaluru and Mumbai. The carrier will now operate over 165 weekly departures from Delhi, connecting it with 12 destinations, up from nine earlier.

Praveen Iyer, co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer, Akasa Air, said, “Akasa Air was founded with a vision to democratise air travel in India while contributing meaningfully to the nation’s extraordinary growth story. India continues to strengthen its position as one of the world’s most promising aviation markets. This expansion will play a key role in improving connectivity across the country and beyond, supporting mobility, trade, and tourism, while offering travellers enhanced choice and convenience through seamless and thoughtfully curated connections.”

He added, “Our growth is aligned with our goal of becoming one of the top 30 airlines by the turn of this decade. As we expand our wings, we remain committed to connecting people, places and cultures with warmth, dependability, and service excellence that are the hallmarks of Akasa.”

Akasa Air will introduce non-stop services connecting Delhi with Kolkata, Bagdogra, and Srinagar, along with increased frequencies to key destinations such as Mumbai, Pune, and Bengaluru, operating up to 4x daily, 2x daily, and 5x daily, respectively. The move will enable Delhi to connect to four of India’s five metro cities, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Hyderabad, along with eight non-metro destinations.

The airline also announced the strengthening of its domestic network in eastern and southern India, with expanded operations to Kozhikode and Darbhanga, and an enhanced footprint in Kolkata with 62 weekly departures, up from 52.

On the international front, Akasa Air said it is deepening its presence in the Middle East, with a 14% rise in departures from Abu Dhabi and new non-stop flights connecting the UAE capital with Cochin and Chennai. The airline will also increase flights from Jeddah to 26 weekly, while Riyadh operations will scale up to 5x weekly.

The airline said these expansions, along with its growing codeshare partnership with Etihad Airways, underline Akasa’s “steady and sustainable growth trajectory” and its commitment to making air travel “increasingly affordable and accessible for a greater number of travellers.”

Akasa Air currently connects 24 domestic and 6 international cities. It operates over 1,000 flights per week.