"Have no intention of getting into a price war," says Akasa Air CEO Vinay Dube

As Indian flyers await Akasa Air taking to the skies, the management of the airline says that it has no intention of triggering a price war to grab market share, and would instead focus on the overall experience to woo consumers.

Speaking to Business Today TV, Vinay Dube, founder and CEO of Akasa Air, said the airline plans to rely on technology to gain a competitive edge in a crowded market and offer a hi-tech shopping experience for check-in and post-travel that would make Akasa “unique”.

“We have no intention of getting into a war with anybody,” Dube said, adding that the primary focus would be to offer the best service for consumers.

“For us, it is not just price that will be affordable, but a service that will mean customers keep coming back again, Dube said about the airline that is expected to take to the skies sometimes this May or by early June. Akasa has already received key clearances from the government last year, and now awaits the final go ahead to launch commercial flights across the country.

“We are in the process of getting our air operators' certificate from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, which is a rigorous process. We are also in the process of hiring staff including pilots and flight attendants,” Dube added.

The airline hopes to have 18 aircraft flying in its fleet by March 2023 and a total of 72 aircraft over a five-year period.

Asked about key routes, Dube said the primary focus will be on the metro cities to Tier-2 and tier-3 towns. “We hope to fly internationally by the second half of 2023”, he added.

Sharing views on the sustainability factor, Dube said he is optimistic about the future of the aviation sector. “We are incredibly fortunate to have Rakesh Jhunjhunwala select us and be part of this journey with us. It's not just that an airline has to be well capitalised, but it is the quality of the capital which counts, he said.

Currently, Akasa is not planning to raise funds from the market. "We will continue to be well capitalised in the future,” Dube added.