Kerala-based Zett Fly Aviation’s soon-to-launch airline Air Kerala has appointed experienced pilot CS Randhawa as its vice president of operations in anticipation of the rollout early next year, the startup passenger airline, currently in the process of obtaining its flying license from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has appointed former army officer and aviation security specialist Ashutosh Vashishth as Vice President of Security.
These two appointments follow Air Kerala’s announcement last month of aviation industry expert Harish Kutty as its Chief Executive Officer. Randhawa, who leads the Federation of Indian Pilots, the foremost pilots’ organization, boasts nearly fifty years of experience. He has held various positions at Air India, the Indian Air Force, and the DGCA, among others.
His expertise includes flight operations, safety, and airline management, having worked as a Joint General Manager at Air India and as the Deputy Chief Flight Operations Inspector at the DGCA. The company noted his extensive flying experience across multiple aircraft types, including the B-777 and A-310.
Conversely, Vashishth, with more than ten years of notable service in aviation security, occupies a key role in the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). He has completed a tenure with the Indian Army and possesses multiple specialized certifications in airport security management, national inspections, and auditing, as per Air Kerala’s statement.
“We are committed to building a team of the industry’s finest talents, and the inclusion of these professionals reflects our ambition to establish new benchmarks in aviation,” stated Afi Ahmed, Chairman of Air Kerala.
“Their (Randhawa and Vashishth) unparalleled experience and commitment to aviation will certainly enhance our dedication to safety, security, and excellence,” he remarked.
Both individuals are experienced professionals with outstanding backgrounds in aviation and are poised to advance operational excellence and security at Air Kerala, the company affirmed.
According to reports, the airline is planning to initiate operations in 2025. Initially, the service will link Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities using three ATR 72-600 aircraft.
Boom in Indian Aviation: The Indian aviation sector is currently experiencing significant growth. Data from aviation analytics firm OAG indicates that India has now ascended to become the third-largest domestic aviation market, following the U.S. and China. Budget carriers have been instrumental in this expansion, representing 78.4% of the domestic airline capacity during the month of April.
The development of the aviation sector is being bolstered by the rapid increase in the number of airports, which has doubled from 2014 to 2023. The annual passenger capacity at Indian airports is also projected to rise by an additional 60 million. However, as former aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia noted earlier this year, the market remains underserved. This presents a considerable opportunity for new entrants, such as Fly91 and Akasa Air, to make their mark in the aviation industry.
India’s regional connectivity initiative, UDAN, is also contributing to the encouragement of private entities to establish regional airlines, which can later expand into international operations.
Earlier this month, Rahul Bhatia, managing director of IndiGo, expressed that a nation like India merits more than just two airlines. In the domestic market for the quarter from April to June, IndiGo maintained a substantial market share of approximately 61%. The Air India group, which includes Vistara, followed at a distant second with nearly 29% market share.
India, recognized as the most populated country globally, has set a target to expand its airport count to 350 by the year 2030, an increase from 144 in 2019, according to estimates from CAPA India and data from the government. With airlines such as IndiGo and Air India acquiring aircraft from their unprecedented orders and new airports starting operations, domestic passenger traffic is anticipated to reach between 600 and 700 million annually, as forecasted by CAPA India. ($1 = 83.4575 Indian rupees)
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