Akasa plans test flight next week; expects commercial start by late-July

Akasa, India’s newest airline, will conduct a proving flight with the country’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation as early as next week as it looks to start commercial services by around the end of July, Chief Executive Officer Vinay Dube said Friday.

Akasa, backed by billionaire Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, will likely receive its air operator’s certificate within days of the proving flight, apply for airport slots and start to sell tickets within a two to three week period, Dube said in an interview at the startup airline’s office in Mumbai.

The value carrier’s first routes will be domestic, with a focus