India’s latest airline Akasa Air has announced the launch of its international operations with commencement of four flights a week from Mumbai to Doha in Qatar.

Barely 19 months after it began commercial operations, India’s latest airline Akasa Air has announced the launch of its international operations from March.

In a press statement, the Mumbai-based carrier says that it will start its international flights with the launch of four services a week from Mumbai to Doha in Qatar, with effect from March 28.

It adds that bookings for flights are now open on Akasa Air’s website as well as its Android and iOS app and through multiple leading OTAs. It has announced inaugural return fares starting at INR 29,012. The flight to Doha, QP70 will depart Mumbai every Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 17:45 reaching Doha at 19:40 the same day and on the return leg QP71 will leave Doha at 20:40 the same day, reaching Mumbai at 02:45 the next day.

The statement adds that with this, Akasa Air becomes the first Indian airline to fly overseas in a record period of 19 months since its inception. The launch of operations to Qatar marks the airline’s next phase of growth aimed at taking the warm and efficient Akasa experience to the world at affordable fares.

“We are delighted to announce our international operations with the launch of our first destination, Doha, to our growing network. The introduction of four flights a week, connecting directly with Mumbai, a key Indian commercial hub, will cater to a diverse set of travellers from the two countries, facilitating tourism, commerce and strengthening bilateral ties,’’ says Vinay Dube, Founder and CEO, Akasa Air.

‘‘Akasa Air is built on a solid foundation of reliability, service excellence and the highest standards of safety in global aviation. We are proud of our remarkable growth since inception, which is also a testimony of the sheer potential of the Indian aviation industry. Our foray into Qatar marks the next phase of growth as we continue our journey towards becoming one of the world’s top 30 airlines by the turn of this decade,” Dube adds.

The airline says that the launch of its operations to Qatar is in line with Qatar Tourism strategy 2030 that aims to make the country the fastest growing tourism destination in the middle east by 2030.

Akasa Air says that since its launch in August 2022, it has served over 7.75 million passengers and connects with 20 cities across India and now Doha. The statement adds that with a clear focus on sustained, long-term growth, Akasa Air has placed a firm order of 226 Boeing 737 MAX airplanes, powered by CFM fuel-efficient, LEAP-1B engines.

It currently operates 23 737 MAX aircraft which delivers superior efficiency in reducing fuel use and carbon emissions. The aircraft also powers a quieter cabin with 40 pc lesser noise fulfilling the airline’s promise of being an environmentally progressive company with the youngest and greenest fleet in the Indian skies.