Aviation market big enough for Akasa Air to succeed: CEO Vinay Dube

NEW DELHI: As Akasa Air spreads its wings on domestic and international routes, the less-than-two-year-old airline's chief Vinay Dube has said he does not think about competition in encouraging or discouraging terms, as the aviation market is "big enough for us to succeed".

The carrier, which took to the skies in August 2022, currently has a fleet of 24 Boeing 737 MAX planes and operates more than 900 flights weekly.

While emphasising that the focus is on service excellence and cost leadership, Dube said the airline is looking for network and international expansion.

"I don't think about competition and certainly don't think about it in encouraging or discouraging terms. If we focus on ourselves, the market is big enough for us to succeed," he told PTI in a recent interview.

In response to the query on whether current competition is encouraging, Dube said, "We don't spend so much time focused on what competition is doing unless we have things we can learn from... what can be improved upon... there is no other word than competition... good, bad, slow, fast, encouraging, discouraging, it is just competition".

India is one of the world's fastest growing civil aviation markets and carriers are expanding their operations and fleets. Akasa Air had a domestic market share of 4.8 per cent in May.

In the international segment, the airline flies to Doha and Riyadh and will commence services to Abu Dhabi from July 11. It has started ticket sales for Jeddah and has traffic rights for Kuwait and Medina.

Akasa Air also offers a host of ancillary services, including allowing pets on board flights.

Ancillary services remain a focus area as the airline wants to offer choices to customers, Dube said. "Ancillaries are provided for choices. We don't want someone who doesn't want food (to) subsidise the person who wants food. We don't think it is fair. Someone wants a combo, and they are willing to pay, sure. If they want one item, they want one item."

At present, Akasa Air has more than 4,000 employees, and for now, the hiring of pilots has been paused.

"We have got plenty of pilots for our current fleet. We are going to pause hiring, and at some point in time, we will start rehiring. People think there is a pilot shortage, and we have got plenty of pilots. We have been able to attract and retain pilots, and our focus now is making them happy. We will restart hiring at some point," Dube, who is the founder and CEO of Akasa Air, said.

More than 200 aircraft are expected to join the airline's fleet over the next 8 years. It has placed a firm order for 226 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.

To a question about pilot fatigue, Dube said the airline independently takes steps over and above the regulatory requirements.

"Building sensible rosters, managing and monitoring pilot fatigue, highest standards... these are things we are fully invested in. We will continue our own thinking and our own efforts," he added.

Earlier this month, Akasa Air co-founder Aditya Ghosh told PTI that the carrier is on track to profitability.

According to Ghosh, when a customer-focused and employee-centric organisation is being built, it is also important to build a financially sustainable business.

"I think at Akasa we are on track to profitability... We are steadfastly focused on it... we have seen greater operational reliability, best on time, lowest customer complaints, highest load factors, lowest cancellations...," he had said.