Jeddah attracts diverse range of travellers from India, says Khatri
The launch of direct flights connecting Jeddah with Ahmedabad and Mumbai will contribute to Saudi Arabia’s expectation of hosting 7.5 million Indian visitors by 2031, says Akasa Air https://www.akasaair.com/ which has announced daily flights between Jeddah and Mumbai, starting from 15 July 2024.
Akasa Air said it will further ramp up this connectivity to operate 12 direct flights a week effective 21 July 2024.
The launch of operations from Mumbai will be followed by the commencement of 2 weekly direct flights connecting Jeddah https://www.visitsaudi.com/en with Ahmedabad effective 20 July 2024, Akasa Air said on 13 May.
Akasa Air said it has generated an extremely positive response amongst travellers between India and Doha. With its foray into Jeddah, the airline aims to extend the Akasa experience to the growing number of travellers on the routes.
In 2023, Saudi Arabia witnessed a 50% increase in Indian visitors https://mumbaitourism.travel/top-places-to-visit-in-mumbai , said the airline though final figures were not listed.
Commenting on the announcement, Neelu Khatri, Co-Founder and SVP International, Akasa Air, said that Jeddah https://lifeinsaudiarabia.net/tourist-places-attractions-to-visit-in-jeddah/ offers a unique blend of commerce, heritage and culture, accentuated by its scenic Red Sea coastline.
“The city attracts a diverse range of travellers from India, and the launch of direct flights connecting Jeddah with two prime Indian cities – Mumbai and Ahmedabad will foster connectivity between the two regions and also enable travellers from Saudi Arabia https://fsc.org.sa/?lang=en to explore India with our wide network in the country,” said Khatri.
Belson Coutinho, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing and Experience Officer, Akasa Air, said, “As we progress on our journey to become one of the top 30 airlines in the world by the turn of this decade, we will continue to rapidly expand our footprint to offer our customers a holistic global air network backed by a world-class travel experience https://www.incredibleindia.org/content/incredible-india-v2/en.html .”
Praveen Iyer, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer, further shared, “Our strategically designed connections linking Jeddah with two key Indian cities – Mumbai and Ahmedabad will cater to a variety of tourists, fostering bilateral trade and tourism https://www.sama.gov.sa/en-us/license/pages/saudibanks.aspx .
“As India’s leader in on-time performance with a steadfast focus on reliability and the highest standards of safety, we will continue to augment our global footprint in the coming months, building a holistic air network that provides access to affordable travel and connects people, places and cultures”.
Akasa Air launched operations in Doha on 28 March 2024, and the addition of Jeddah to the airline’s network further bolsters its presence in the Middle East. The airline has also been granted traffic rights for two other destinations in the Middle East namely Kuwait, and Riyadh, and will be rapidly expanding its footprint in the region in the coming months.
Since its launch in August 2022, Akasa Air has served over 8 million passengers and connects with 24 cities, namely Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, Delhi, Guwahati, Agartala, Pune, Lucknow, Goa, Hyderabad, Varanasi, Bagdogra, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Port Blair, Ayodhya, Gwalior, Srinagar, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Doha and Jeddah. Fiinews.com