Akasa Air Commences Operations from Jeddah; and Strengthens Its Presence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Akasa Air, India's fastest-growing airline, commenced operations from Jeddah, connecting it with two prominent Indian cities – Mumbai and Ahmedabad with direct flights. The inaugural flight on 15th July 2024 departed Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai at 1935hrs IST and arrived at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah at 2225hrs AST. Akasa Air now operates daily direct flights connecting Jeddah with Mumbai and will further enhance this connectivity to operate 12 direct flights a week effective 21st July 2024. The launch of operations from Mumbai will be followed by the commencement of two weekly direct flights connecting Jeddah with Ahmedabad effective 20th July 2024.

The maiden flight received a warm welcome at King Abdulaziz International Airport where its arrival was graced by the presence of the leadership teams of Akasa Air and King Abdulaziz International Airport, to commemorate the occasion.

Akasa Air commenced operations from Riyadh in June 2024, and the launch of services to Jeddah further solidifies the airline’s presence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, offering enhanced options for air travel between the two countries, at affordable fares. The expansion will also support Saudi Arabia’s aim to host 7.5 million Indian visitors by 2030.

Praveen Iyer, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer, further shared, “We are delighted to expand our international network with the launch of operations to Jeddah. The response to our Mumbai-Riyadh route has been encouraging and reflects the need for enhanced connectivity between India and Saudi Arabia. Direct flights connecting Jeddah with Mumbai and Ahmedabad will foster trade and provide further options to pilgrims from India to Jeddah and drive inbound tourism to the country.

“Akasa Air has emerged as India’s most dependable airline in a short time. As we rapidly grow our global presence, we remain committed to taking the dependable and affordable Akasa experience to the world.”

Belson Coutinho, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing and Experience Officer, Akasa Air added, “The launch of operations to Jeddah is yet another stepping stone in our journey of taking the warm and efficient Akasa experience to the world. Passengers onboard can relish some truly distinguished culinary offerings with our onboard meal service Café Akasa, and enjoy the comfort of our spacious cabins and the convenience of in-seat charging with USB ports on most of our aircraft. Offerings like Skyscore by Akasa and QuietFlights along with the signature service delivered by our crew onboard and on ground will further enhance the inflight experience of our passengers. Moreover, travellers also have the option to choose from a variety of customizable and all-inclusive holiday packages at affordable prices with Akasa Holidays.”

“As we build a holistic air network, we strive to make every flight a memorable and seamless experience for our passengers. We look forward to hosting travellers on the route and are confident that they will appreciate the Akasa experience like millions of others,” he added.

Akasa Air forayed into international skies in March 2024, and has rapidly expanded its global footprint since then. The airline currently operates flights to Doha, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Jeddah and has also been granted traffic rights for Kuwait, and Medina (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia).

Akasa Air has introduced multiple quality products and differentiated services to ensure an inclusive, warm, and comfortable flying experience. Its brand-new fleet provides ample legroom and enhanced comfort and comes with USB ports in a majority of aircraft, allowing passengers to charge their gadgets and devices on the go. Café Akasa, the airline’s onboard meal service offers an assortment of healthy and delectable meals, including festive menus and industry-first options such as Kombucha, to offer customers an indulgent gourmet experience in the skies. Travelers can choose to plan their travel with Akasa Holidays which offers customisable and all-inclusive holiday packages at affordable prices. Skyscore by Akasa provides live scores of all major sporting events onboard, and the airline’s Quiet Flights experience offers a restful and undisturbed inflight journey on early morning and late-night flights. In addition, in an endeavour to make travel inclusive, Akasa Air has introduced its safety instruction card and onboard menu card in Braille for persons with visual impairment.

Akasa Air’s consistent on-time leadership, operational efficiencies and extremely positive customer feedback have made it a preferred carrier in India, serving over 10 million passengers since its launch in August 2022. Akasa Air currently connects with 22 domestic and four international cities, namely Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, Delhi, Guwahati, Agartala, Pune, Lucknow, Goa, Hyderabad, Varanasi, Bagdogra, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Port Blair, Ayodhya, Gwalior, Srinagar, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Doha (Qatar), Jeddah, Riyadh (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and Abu Dhabi (UAE).