Akasa Air is India’s fastest growing airline. The low-cost carrier has skillfully taken advantage of the constant demand for air travel increase in the country to fuel its operations. The has been positioning itself as an affordable and reliable alternative to the two giants of Indian aviation, Air India and Indigo. Along with progressively expanding its route network domestically the airline is working on also adding new international destinations. Destinations such as Kuwait with flight QP571. Here’s the lowdown.
Akasa Air Adds Kuwait to Its Destination Network
The newest destination to enter the Akasa Air destination network is Kuwait. The Gulf country will shortly become the airline’s fifth destination in the Middle East and fifth international destination as well. The current destinations served by the carrier outside of India’s borders are:
- Jeddah
- Riyadh
- Abu Dhabi
- Doha
Flight QP571 will therefore strengthen the Indian airline’s position in what is the most important market for airlines in this region: flights from the middle east to India. Proof of how Akasa believes that it will be able to intercept either excess demand/spillover demand or attract new travellers is demonstrated in the decision to make the flight daily from day 1. Speaking of day 1, the first flight is scheduled to take off on August 23rd 2024.
The flight itself though has quite a grueling schedule. Flight QP571 from Mumbai to Kuwait (and back as QP572) will be the most classic of redeye flights flying all the way through the night returning only in the early hours of the morning. Here’s the flight’s exact schedule:
| Flight Number | Departure Airport | Airport Code | Departure Time | Arrival Airport | Airport Code | Arrival Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | QP571 | Mumbai | BOM | 19:50 | Kuwait | KWI | 22:00 |
| QP572 | Kuwait | KWI | 23:00 | Mumbai | BOM | 05:35 |
Why Is Akasa Launching All Its International Flights to The Middle East?
You might have noticed that all international flights so far launched by Akasa Air are to destinations in the Middle East. So, why add another flight to the region with the new Kuwait flight QP571? Well, it is the most logical move for any new Indian or Arab airline to connect all major destinations in the other region. Routes between the Middle East and India are among the busiest and most profitable in the world. The Indian expat communities in the Gulf region are massive and catering to their needs is the best move to try and up profits with the safest gamble. Also, the fact that Akasa is an Indian carrier can make some passengers feel more at home and might have an attractive effect on certain expats returning home. Now the only major destination yet to be served in the middle east is the largest city: Dubai.
The Aircraft for the New Mumbai to Kuwait Flight QP571
Akasa Air, as most low-cost carriers, operates a one aircraft type fleet. The airline flies all its routes on Boeing 737 MAX 8s. However, there are two variants of these planes in terms of cabin interiors. One features a small business class cabin, the other doesn’t. If Akasa follows what it has done until now, we should see the business class-fitted planes on the Kuwait flight. These Boeing 737 MAX 8 feature:
- 12 Business class recliners in a 2-2 layout on 3 rows
- 162 Economy class seats in a standard 3-3 layout.