Air Kerala Hires New CEO, First Flight in H1 2025 with ATRs

DUBAI- Zettfly Aviation, based in the UAE, has appointed Harish Kutty as CEO of Air Kerala. The announcement was made in Dubai, marking a significant step towards the airline’s establishment.

Air Kerala plans to initiate domestic services with three aircraft in the first half of 2025. The company intends to expand to international routes after fulfilling mandatory domestic operations.

Photo: Air Kerala

Air Kerala Appoints CEO

Harish Kutty brings over 35 years of aviation industry experience to Air Kerala. His career spans roles at British Airways (BA), Air Arabia (G9), Salam Air (OV), Spice Jet (SG), and Wataniya Airways (Q9).

Kutty’s notable achievements include leading Salam Air’s revenue and network planning during the pandemic. He played crucial roles in the startup teams of Air Arabia and Wataniya Airways, contributing to their success.

Air Kerala’s management expresses confidence in Kutty’s ability to establish the airline as a leading carrier in India. Zettfly Aviation chairman Afi Ahamed and vice chairman Ayoob Kallada welcomed Kutty to the team.

Kutty views Air Kerala as representing the aspirations of Malayalis worldwide and the unique culture of Kerala. He aims to make Air Kerala the preferred airline for the Malayali community.

Air Kerala aims to become the first regional airline based in Kerala, India’s southernmost state.

Photo: Air Kerala

Flight Operation Begins in Q2 of 2025

Zetfly Aviation, Air Kerala’s parent company, received the initial No-objection Certificate in July 2024 from India’s civil aviation minister. The company aims to obtain the Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) by mid-2025.

Air Kerala plans to launch commercial flights from its Kochi hub to Tier II and Tier III cities in Q2 2025. International operations to the GCC region are slated to follow.

CEO Harish Kutty emphasizes Air Kerala’s significance to the global Malayalee community, describing it as a realization of a shared dream.

Kutty confirms the airline is in the pre-application stage for AOC, and expects to receive it by April 2025. He acknowledges the time-consuming nature of the AOC process.

Photo: ATR

Air Kerala Fleet

Air Kerala is negotiating with ATR to dry lease three 78-seater ATR 72-60s aircraft for its launch in mid-2025.

The airline aims to provide affordable travel options for expatriate Malayalees. International operations are planned for 2028, adhering to MoCA guidelines requiring a minimum fleet of 20 aircraft.

Afi Ahmed, the founder of Smart Travels earlier said, “Once our fleet reaches 20 aircraft, we will begin exploring international routes to enhance our service offerings and extend our reach,” Afi added. “The initial investment required for our project is approximately Dh1.1 billion.”

Air Kerala’s fleet expansion strategy includes narrowbody Boeing 737s or A320s to meet the 20-aircraft requirement for international flights by 2028.

Photo: Alhind Airlines, Compounded by Aviation A2Z

New Regional Airlines

Well, Air Kerala is not alone in the race to start regional flights. There is a sudden rise in travel and training companies announcing new airlines. Some airlines such as FLY91 (IC), a regional carrier headquartered in Goa have already started their commercial operations.

Furthermore, Jettwings Airways announced that it has obtained a clearance to operate in 12 sectors covering the Northeast, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar as part of the UDAN scheme.

Jettwings plans to operate flights on 16 routes. They will utilize the Embraer E175s and will be the second one to do so in India after Star Air (S9), which operates all Embraer fleets.

Last month (August 2024), Alhind Group, a prominent Kerala-based travel services operator, secured approval from India’s civil aviation ministry to launch a new airline named Alhind Airlines. The company aims to begin operations by the end of 2024.

Alhind Airline will commence services with three ATR-72 turboprop aircraft, focusing initially on regional routes

Good to see, new airlines starting or planning to start operations in India. But they will face strong competition from established carriers such as IndiGo (6E) and Air India Express (IX) that target regional routes as well.

Further, it’s very difficult to stay afloat as regional airlines and many airlines have shut down due to financial issues or less demand.

Let’s stay optimistic and hope this airline makes it to the long road to profitability, sustainability, and affordability.

Tell us what you think about these new regional airlines of India. Will they start their operations? Will they achieve profitability?

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