Akasa Air's Co-Founder Neelu Khatri Steps Down
Neelu Khatri, Co-Founder and Senior Vice President of operations at Akasa Air, has submitted her resignation, representing a significant departure from the three-year-old carrier at the executive level.
The airline verified that Khatri has chosen to leave the organization to explore new opportunities in her career path. No specific information was revealed. Khatri belongs to the founding group of Akasa Air, which commenced operations on August 7, 2022.
She also serves as one of the airline's executive committee members. Her role encompasses Senior Vice President for Operations, covering international operations as well. Besides Khatri, Akasa Air includes five additional co-founders: Aditya Ghosh, Anand Srinivasan, Belson Coutinho, Bhavin Joshi and Praveen Iyer. The airline's Founder and CEO is Vinay Dube. Recently, the carrier has experienced several departures at the executive level. In August, the airline declared successful fundraising completion from various investors, including Premji Invest and Claypond Capital.
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The carrier stressed that its current international services and ambitious plans for international growth will continue as planned.
At present, Akasa Air operates 30 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and serves 24 cities domestically along with 6 international destinations. In July, Akasa Air's Chief Financial Officer Ankur Goel stated the carrier was enhancing its financial results, increasing capacity and targeting 226 aircraft by 2032's conclusion.
Akasa Air is broadening its global reach by launching daily direct flights connecting Bengaluru and Phuket, starting October 1, 2025. This initiative aims to improve direct access from South India to one of Thailand's premier island getaways. The route represents the carrier's second India-Phuket connection, adding to its current daily Mumbai service.
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Passengers may purchase tickets through Akasa's website, mobile application, or approved booking channels. The carrier is currently providing a temporary 20 percent price reduction for reservations using the promotional code FLYMORE.
According to the flight timetable, Flight QP 623 will take off from Bengaluru at 6:25 am, reaching Phuket at 12:40 pm. The returning flight, QP 624, will depart Phuket at 1:40 pm, arriving in Bengaluru by 4:40 pm. Both services will run every day.
Akasa Air emphasized Phuket's ongoing appeal to Indian vacation travelers and noted that the new connection will foster cultural interaction and boost regional tourism. This expansion represents part of the carrier's comprehensive approach to reinforcing its market position throughout the SAARC and ASEAN territories.
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Presently, Akasa operates to 24 national and six overseas destinations, encompassing Doha, Riyadh, Jeddah, Abu Dhabi, and Kuwait City. Following its debut in August 2022, the airline has transported more than 20 million travelers and maintains a fleet of 30 Boeing 737 MAX planes, with an additional 226 aircraft ordered to support its ambitious expansion strategy.