'It's Your Sky': Akasa Air To Allow Pets In Cabin, Cargo From Nov, Says CEO
Akasa Air will allow domesticated dogs and cats in the cabin as well as cargo from November and will also be starting new routes in the coming weeks. It plans to start international services soon.
Akasa Air, which took to the skies two months ago, will allow domesticated dogs and cats in cabin as well as cargo from November and will also be starting new routes in the coming weeks. The airline, which is "well capitalised", plans to start international services in the second half of 2023 once it has a fleet of 20 planes. Currently, the carrier has 6 aircraft and will have a total of 18 planes by the end of March next year.
Akasa Air Founder and CEO Vinay Dube on Thursday said the airline's performance has been "satisfying" in the first 60 days. "We are very happy, satisfied with... our performance".
Currently, the carrier has 30 daily flights, will start services from Delhi on Friday. It started operations on August 7.
The airline is progressively expanding its network and connecting more cities, its Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer Praveen Iyer said.
From November, domesticated dogs and cats can travel. The bookings in this regard will start from October 15, its Co-Founder, Chief Marketing & Experience Officer Belson Coutinho said while addressing a press meet here.
Currently, Air India allows carrying of pets in cabin while some other airlines permit pets only in cargo.
Each pet will have to be in a cage. The weight limit, including the cage, will be 7 kilograms in the case of cabin and 32 kilograms in check-in. There will be another option for heavier pets.
The policy for pets will be "enhanced" later. "We did have a lot of pet lovers asking... we all believe that we need to have an inclusive environment for pets as well. It (the decision) comes out of our love for pets," Coutinho said.
The airline will be leveraging the expertise of an NGO with respect to carrying of pets such as how to be prepared and what all things pet owners should know as well as the dos and don'ts, he added.
It has joined hands with the NGO Umeed for Animals Foundation to ensure smooth pet-friendly travel.
Dube said the airline is well capitalised and is not looking to have new investors.
To a query on whether there has been any change in strategy following the demise of its key investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, Dube replied in the negative.
"There is no change in strategy... in terms of moral, emotional support, it is a deep deep loss," he noted.
On August 17, Dube said the airline is well-capitalised and its growth is secure with the financial means to place an order for more planes, days after the passing away of Jhunjhunwala.
With the passing away of ace investor Jhunjhuwala, whose backing itself had provided a tailwind for the country's newest airline, the future trajectory of the airline will be closely watched.
Regarding the government's Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS), the Akasa Air chief on Thursday said it is appreciative that the government continues to recognise the importance of the aviation sector.
"We just hope that the government's support extends to startup airlines as well. Startup airlines are operating in the same difficult environment... we will be more than happy to get any kind of government support... I don't know what is on the table. So I can't elaborate," he said.
About airfares, Dube said the airline looks at the affordability of airfares in a much longer time horizon and "our view is that we will have a high degree of focus on infrastructure".
At present, the airline has a total staff of around 800 and about 175 people are joining every month.
Akasa Air said it will have 11 non-stop routes and 300 weekly flights by the end of October.
Delhi will be the sixth destination on its network and the first on the Delhi-Bengaluru and Delhi-Ahmedabad routes will commence from Friday.
"Both routes will be served with daily flights in each direction. The airline has announced eight destinations so far, including Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Chennai, Delhi, Agartala and Guwahati being covered with 11 non-stop routes," it said in a release.
The airline has placed a firm order for 72 Boeing 737 MAX planes.
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)
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