General Authority of Civil Aviation Authorize Saudi Arabia Operations of Akasa Air

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) in Saudi Arabia plays a crucial role in overseeing and regulating the aviation sector. For a new airline to enter into the market, it needs approval from this authority. Akasa Air has announced the launch of flights to Saudi Arabia. It has opened the bookings for connecting two Indian cities to Jeddah and Riyadh.

Now, GACA has authorized the airline operations. It has been allotted rights to operate 14X weekly to Jeddah and 7X weekly to Riyadh. Furthermore, the airline has received slots at Dammam Airport, which we will talk about in the last paragraph.

GACA in a press statement said that this initiative from Akasa Air aligns with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. In addition to Akasa Air, GACA also approved the flights of ITA Airways between Rome and Riyadh.

Akasa Air Saudi Arabia Operations

In August 2022, Akasa Air launched commercial operations. Within 19 months, the airline became the fastest Indian carrier to start international services. The entry into the Qatari market marked the international launch of Akasa Air. It is currently operating five times a week to Doha.

Now, it has opened reservations for Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. The airline will operate flights on three routes between India and Saudi Arabia. These are:

• Mumbai to Riyadh
• Ahmedabad to Jeddah
• Mumbai to Jeddah

Let us have a detailed look at each route.

Mumbai to Riyadh

Riyadh will become the second international destination for Akasa Air. In Saudi Arabia, this will be the first destination for the airline. From June 15, the airline will start non-stop flights on this route with seven weekly flights. It will deploy the Boeing 737 MAX.

Akasa Air will become the fifth airline to operate flights on this route. Saudia, Air India, IndiGo, and Flynas are the already established players in this segment.

Here is a quick look at the flight timings of Akasa Air:

Mumbai to Jeddah

Jeddah will become the third international destination for Akasa Air. From July 15, it will connect Mumbai to Jeddah with daily flights. Subsequently, on July 21, the frequency on this route will be increased to 12 times a week. Akasa will operate two daily flights every day except Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Akasa Air will become the fifth airline to operate on this route. Air India, IndiGo, Vistara, and Saudia are the heavy players on this route. Saudia deploys its Airbus A330-300 here.

Here is a quick look at the flight timings of Akasa Air:

Ahmedabad to Jeddah

From 20 July, Akasa Air will connect Ahmedabad to Jeddah with twice-weekly flights. Service will be operational on Wednesdays and Saturdays utilizing the Boeing 737s. It seems that the airline wanted to operate twice daily between Mumbai and Jeddah, but it failed to acquire slots at slot-constrained Mumbai Airport.

Hence, it diverted the 2X weekly capacity to Ahmedabad. IndiGo is currently the only operator on this route with daily flights.

Here is a quick look at the timings of Akasa Air flight:

Akasa Air Acquires Slots at Dammam

As per the latest slot reports released by Airport Coordination Limited (ACL), the youngest airline in India has achieved slots at Dammam King Fahd International Airport (DMM). In the attached snapshot below, you can see that the airline has been allocated 1,534 movements.

The possibility of acquiring slots at Mumbai Airport looks minimal now. In this case, if the airline aims to connect Dammam to India, I expect the airline to launch its first international service from Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL).

According to the airline’s co-founder Aditya Ghosh, Akasa Air is looking to establish more connections in the Middle East region. It has partnered with Wego, the largest booking engine in the Middle East and North Africa region. It is further looking at South Asia and Southeast Asia for the next phase of expansion.

Conclusion: Akasa Air Saudi Arabia Operations

Akasa Air has commenced the bookings for two cities in Saudi Arabia: Riyadh and Jeddah. The airline will connect Mumbai to Jeddah and Riyadh. Ahmedabad will be connected to Jeddah as well. GACA, the regulatory body of Saudi Arabia has approved the airline’s schedule. This will become the second and third international destination for the airline. It has acquired the slots at Dammam Airport.

What do you think about the entry of Akasa Air into the Saudi Arabia market? Discuss in the comment section.