Akasa Air, India’s newest airline, has launched commercial operations with its first flight taking off from Mumbai to Ahmedabad.

The maiden flight took off from Mumbai at 10:05am with a scheduled arrival at Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 11:25 am on August 7.

Honourable Union Minister for Civil Aviation Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia and the Honourable Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, General (Dr) V. K Singh were both on hand to celebrate the maiden flight.

Commenting on the launch of commercial operations, Vinay Dube, founder and chief executive of Akasa Air said the airline is aligned with the nation’s journey towards making air travel affordable.

“We are thrilled to finally begin our commercial journey and bring alive our vision of supporting India’s economic progress and building India’s greenest, most dependable, and most affordable airline,” he said. “Akasa Air’s empathetic and youthful personality, employee-friendly culture, customer-service philosophy, and tech-led approach will make this commitment a reality for us. We are now focussed on delivering a flying experience unlike anything witnessed in the Indian skies thus far.”

Akasa Air will offer weekly flights between Mumbai and Ahmedabad before adding cities and routes to its network including Kochi, Bengaluru and Chennai. With a fleet induction plan of two 737 MAX aircraft each month, the airline said it is looking to establish a strong pan-India presence, with a focus on metro to tier 2 & 3 route connectivity.

The fleet size will be raised to 18 aircraft by the end of March 2023 and over the next four years, the airline will add 54 aircraft, taking its total fleet size to 72.