New Delhi: India’s aviation industry is poised for significant transformation in this financial year as there are three new airlines which are preparing to launch its operations.
After this launch, it will end Akasa Air’s status as the country’s youngest airline as it was launched in December 2021.
So far the country has 12 functioning passenger airlines.
But, the market remains heavily concentrated, with just two carriers serving over 90 per cent of passengers.
It is expected that the arrival of Air Kerala, Shankh Air and Alhind Air will disrupt this imbalance.
When it comes to these three airlines, interestingly, all of them were founded in 2024.
They have secured no objection certificates from the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Now they are waiting for their air operator certificates from the Director General of Civil Aviation.
Out of these, Shankh Air will become the first scheduled full-service airline for Uttar Pradesh.
The airline will start its operations from the upcoming Noida Jewar International Airport.
This airline comes with an initial funding of $50 million and a pledge of $200 million from its parent company.
Further the airline is planning to lease its first narrow-body aircraft by March-end.
Initially, it will be connecting major cities within UP and key metro destinations.
The airline further plans its international expansion for 2027.
Soon two new airlines will be launched in Kerala – Air Kerala and Alhind Air.
Out of these, Air Kerala is set to become India’s first ultra-low-cost carrier.
Air Kerala’s main focus is on connecting Kerala’s smaller cities with major hubs before expanding internationally in 2026.
The idea of this airline was originally conceived by the state government in 2005.
Now, the airline is being launched by UAE-based entrepreneurs operating under Zettfly Aviation Pvt. Ltd. with a fleet of three ATR 72-600 aircraft.
Similar to this, the Calicut-based Alhind Group will be launching Alhind Air as a regional commuter airline.
This will be operating from Cochin International Airport with ATR 72-600 aircraft.This airline also has plans to expand to international destinations, particularly Gulf countries, within two years of launch.
The introduction of these airlines will definitely help in enhancing the connectivity with improved service quality and competitive pricing across the Indian aviation sector.
So far the precise launch dates remain pending regulatory approval.
