Just 3 years: India's youngest airline Akasa Air joins IATA club, joins elite group of carriers
The membership follows Akasa Air’s successful completion of the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) in December — a mandatory prerequisite that underscores the airline’s adherence to globally benchmarked safety and operational standards.
- Jan 9, 2026,
- Updated Jan 9, 2026 5:55 PM IST
Akasa Air, India’s youngest airline founded in 2020, has become a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the global trade association representing over 360 airlines accounting for more than 80 per cent of global air traffic.
The airline made the announcement on January 9 via a statement on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “Delighted to share; we are now a member of International Air Transport Association (IATA), the trade association representing over 360 carriers across the world that account for more than 80 per cent of global air traffic.”
The membership follows Akasa Air’s successful completion of the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) in December — a mandatory prerequisite that underscores the airline’s adherence to globally benchmarked safety and operational standards. The airline described this milestone as a recognition of its strong safety culture and operational excellence.
“Our admission into IATA in just over 3 years of commencing operations follows our remarkable achievement of the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), a major safety milestone recognizing its global operational standards, which is a mandatory prerequisite for the membership. The achievement underscores Akasa Air’s strong safety culture and adherence to internationally benchmarked operational processes,” the airline stated.
With this, Akasa Air joins the ranks of four other Indian carriers that are IATA members — Tata Group-owned Air India and Air India Express, IndiGo, and SpiceJet.
Through its IATA membership, Akasa Air said it aims to actively engage in global aviation dialogue, contribute to the development of best practices, and collaborate on key industry initiatives focused on safety management, digital transformation, and sustainable aviation — areas it sees as critical to the future of air travel.
“We look forward to engaging with Akasa Air and to their active participation in shaping the airline industry’s agenda, priorities and initiatives in India, the Asia Pacific region, and globally,” said Sheldon Hee, Regional Vice President for Asia-Pacific at IATA. “India’s aviation potential is huge, with the industry supporting 7.7 million jobs and $53.6 billion in economic contribution.”
Akasa Air was founded by Vinay Dube, with late investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala having invested $35 million for nearly a 40 percent stake in the airline.
Akasa Air, India’s youngest airline founded in 2020, has become a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the global trade association representing over 360 airlines accounting for more than 80 per cent of global air traffic.
The airline made the announcement on January 9 via a statement on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “Delighted to share; we are now a member of International Air Transport Association (IATA), the trade association representing over 360 carriers across the world that account for more than 80 per cent of global air traffic.”
The membership follows Akasa Air’s successful completion of the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) in December — a mandatory prerequisite that underscores the airline’s adherence to globally benchmarked safety and operational standards. The airline described this milestone as a recognition of its strong safety culture and operational excellence.
“Our admission into IATA in just over 3 years of commencing operations follows our remarkable achievement of the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), a major safety milestone recognizing its global operational standards, which is a mandatory prerequisite for the membership. The achievement underscores Akasa Air’s strong safety culture and adherence to internationally benchmarked operational processes,” the airline stated.
With this, Akasa Air joins the ranks of four other Indian carriers that are IATA members — Tata Group-owned Air India and Air India Express, IndiGo, and SpiceJet.
Through its IATA membership, Akasa Air said it aims to actively engage in global aviation dialogue, contribute to the development of best practices, and collaborate on key industry initiatives focused on safety management, digital transformation, and sustainable aviation — areas it sees as critical to the future of air travel.
“We look forward to engaging with Akasa Air and to their active participation in shaping the airline industry’s agenda, priorities and initiatives in India, the Asia Pacific region, and globally,” said Sheldon Hee, Regional Vice President for Asia-Pacific at IATA. “India’s aviation potential is huge, with the industry supporting 7.7 million jobs and $53.6 billion in economic contribution.”
Akasa Air was founded by Vinay Dube, with late investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala having invested $35 million for nearly a 40 percent stake in the airline.