India’s Akasa Air eyes flights to Asia’s tourist hotspots

India’s Akasa Air plans to add destinations across Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent to tap the booming demand for overseas air travel in the world’s most-populous nation. The Mumbai-based budget carrier is gearing up to start flights to Kathmandu in Nepal and Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka, Praveen Iyer, CCO at Akasa’s parent SNV Aviation Pvt, said in an interview. Other travel hotspots such as Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia are also on the airline’s radar, he said. “Indians in general love traveling. That prompts us to look at the next set of expansion,” Iyer said. Outbound traffic from India starting October is “very strong” with Southeast Asian destinations emerging as big contributors, he said. The rapid ramp up by the fledgling airline — which begun flying two years ago and has added five overseas routes this year — underscores the demand for air travel, as Indians get wealthier and countries ease visa restrictions for its citizens. Akasa is also preparing for intensifying competition as its local rivals bulk up: Tata Group-owned Air India and Vistara are merging while market leader IndiGo plans to fly long-haul international routes. Meanwhile, at least a half-dozen overseas carriers such as Etihad Airways and Malaysia Airlines have added or introduced flights to Indian cities.<br/>