Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed Akasa Air's first flight takes off from Mumbai

Rakesh Jhunjhunwala's Akasa Air on Sunday finally touched the Indian sky when the airline's first flight took off from Mumbai to Ahmedabad. The flight was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia along with Minister of State General (retired) VK Singh.

Notably, Akasa Air, the newest airline in India, started accepting reservations for its first commercial flights on July 22. Its first network includes stops in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Kochi. Starting today, August 7, Akasa Air, which operates under the airline code QP, will begin service by providing 28 weekly flights between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Additionally, the airline will begin running an extra 28 weekly flights between Bengaluru and Kochi beginning on August 13th. It is pertinent to mention that tickets for all are open for sale with immediate effect.

'Looking forward to our serving customers': Akasa Air CEO

Earlier, when Akasa Air started accepting ticket bookings for its first commercial flights on July 22, Akasa Sir's Chief Executive Officer, Vinay Dube said, "We are extremely excited to finally be able to offer up our flights for sale. We are also excited to reveal our product which promises to be unlike anything experienced in the category thus far."

Adding further, he said, "With Akasa employees providing warm and efficient customer service, a reliable and dependable network, and affordable fares - we look forward to serving our customers with a flying experience that I am sure they will find delightful."

Chief Commercial Officer of the airline, Praveen Iyer said, "Akasa Air's network strategy is focused on establishing a strong pan-India presence and providing linkages from metro to tier 2 and tier 3 cities across the country."

Notably, the airline that is funded by renowned investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala acquired the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the governing Directorate General of Civil Aviation(DGCA) earlier in July. It is significant to note that the DGCA has outlined a thorough and rigorous procedure that concludes with the issuance of the AOC, which signifies that all regulatory and compliance criteria for the airline's operational preparedness have been satisfactorily met.

(With inputs from ANI)