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India’s Akasa Air has reportedly received government approval to fly to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait by the end of this year; however, flights to the UAE remain in limbo according to a report by an Indian news daily.
Citing unnamed sources, The Times of India reported that flying rights for the three Middle East countries have been allocated by the government. However, the bilateral agreement for UAE remains exhausted for now, which remains a popular route owing to the large Indian expat population that resides in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah.
Last month, the airline received the nod from the Indian government to fly on international routes, with one-year-old Akasa Air stating earlier that it was targeting a launch to key Middle East hubs by December.
The airline has been eyeing an international launch for a while, alluding to its plans at the Paris Air Show in June where Akasa Air placed an order for four Boeing 737 Max jets, as a follow-up to a 72 aircraft order book, which includes 23 737-8s and 53 high-capacity 737-8-200 aircraft.
The airline said at the time that it was on course to announce another significant three-digit aircraft order by the end of 2023, while also launching its international operations before the end of the year.
Akasa Air has also been in the news following a legal dispute with several of its pilots for quitting their post without serving a mandatory six-month notice period. Earlier this month, the Bombay High Court gave the airline the green light to seek damages from six pilots who allegedly breached their employment contracts when they exited the airline.
(Writing by Bindu Rai, editing by Seban Scaria)
