Gone are the days when new Indian airlines had to wait several years before being eligible for international flights. Recent rule changes have made it much easier for airlines to spread their wings to foreign markets, and a good example of this is Akasa Air. The low-cost airline has only been around for a year and is already planning flights to the Middle East in the coming months.

International flights in 3-4 months

In its relatively short lifespan, Akasa Air has said more than once that it wants to fly internationally soon. With twenty aircraft in its fleet, the airline has met the minimum aircraft regulatory requirement to begin overseas flights and is now in the process of obtaining further approvals before commencing these services.

While the initial estimate of late 2023 to start these flights will not be met, Akasa CEO Vinay Dube told CNBC-TV18 that flights to Doha, Kuwait, Riyadh and Jeddah are expected to begin in the next two or three months.

And the Middle East is not the only region on Akasa's list of potential destinations. Given the range of its Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, the airline can comfortably offer a variety of medium-haul international flights, and Dube mentions that destinations such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Maldives are also being considered.

Soon a triple-digit aircraft order

Akasa has been hinting at a major aircraft order for its future growth and fleet development for some time. Akasa currently has 20 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, up from its original order of 72 aircraft. Dube had previously said Akasa would place a major aircraft order, much larger than the previous one, and has now said this could take only weeks or months.

He told CNBC-TV-18 that Akasa's new triple-digit aircraft order could be completed as early as December, although it could also be delayed until January. As for the current fleet size, he said Akasa will add a few more aircraft in the coming months.

Dube said no pilots have been laid off since then and also previously said the airline hopes to increase the number of pilots from 450 to 600 in the coming months.