Indian low-cost carrier Akasa Air has fruitfully concluded its fourth month of operations by inaugurating its maiden flight to its tenth destination of Visakhapatnam, marking the airline’s foray into the state of Andhra Pradesh.
The launch of flights to Visakhapatnam, a city playing a pivotal role in India’s aviation growth story, further reiterates Akasa Air’s commitment to enhancing regional connectivity and will cater to the increased demand for travel from the city. Chief Commercial Officer and Co-Founder, Praveen Iyer, said:
“We are delighted to add Visakhapatnam to our expanding network as the fourth major destination in South India with daily twice Bengaluru-Visakhapatnam Bengaluru. Visakhapatnam is a promising Tier II city owing to its advantageous coastal location, real-estate boom, and industrial prospects.”
Increasing connectivity from Bengaluru
The maiden flight took off on December 10th when Akasa Air flight QP 1344 departed from Bengaluru Kempegowda International Airport at approximately 16:32. After a short flight journey of about one and a quarter hours, the maiden flight landed at Visakhapatnam Airport at 17:44.
With the inauguration of the new route, the low-cost carrier will now offer double daily flight services between Bengaluru and Visakhapatnam, whereby the second frequency intended to benefit passengers with an early morning preference will begin from December 12th.
The flight schedule for the new non-stop route is as follows:
| Flight number | Departure time | Arrival time | Frequency |
| QP 1337 (BLR – VTZ) | 05:25 | 07:00 | Daily |
| QP 1338 (VTZ – BLR) | 07:35 | 09:15 | |
| QP 1344 (BLR – VTZ) | 15:45 | 17:30 | Daily |
| QP 1345 (VTZ – BLR) | 18:20 | 20:05 |
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A ramped-up December
The addition of Vishakhapatnam to its route network comes shortly after a week ago, Akasa Air announced the eleventh network addition with flights from Bengaluru and Mumbai to Lucknow. The daily flights are scheduled to commence on December 25th and further emphasize how since its launch in August this year, the budget carrier has been progressively scaling up its operations.
And this month has been significantly busy as Akasa Air wishes to end its relative first year with quite an impressionable impact. Besides the new route additions, the airline will further boost connectivity between Bengaluru and Ahmedabad by adding a third frequency. Frequencies between Pune and Bengaluru will also benefit with a third daily flight.
Aiming for higher heights
To further amplify how successfully Akasa Air has grown since its launch, the airline is currently crossing over 450 weekly flights on 14 different routes across 10 cities in India. But the growth will not stop here, as the budget carrier eyes a continued development of its network to establish a robust pan-India presence, focusing on the metro to Tier II and III route connectivity.
Fleet-wise, the airline currently houses nine Boeing 737 MAX 8s and is on track to receive a new aircraft every 15 days. By the end of March next year, the airline is expected to have at least 18 aircraft. The fleet expansion comes with bigger goals, as once Akasa Air receives its 20th aircraft sometime in April, the low-cost carrier plans to begin international flying within the second half of next year.
With an eye for international skies, the airline will require an even more extensive fleet. So over the next four years, the plan is to add another 54 aircraft, bringing the total fleet size to 72. However, it is uncertain if Akasa Air plans to stick to a singular aircraft type or will expand its fleet to include others.
