Akasa Air waives off handling charges on carriage of musical instruments

Effective since October 10, 2023, passengers will no longer incur handling fees for carrying musical equipment such as guitars, keyboards, violins, or other musical instruments

Akasa Air has waived off all handling charges related to the carriage of musical instruments carried across its network.

Effective October 10, 2023, this will help support musicians and encourage talent travelling with Akasa Air, said the airline in a release.

In a press release, the airline said that the passengers on Akasa Air flights will no longer incur handling fees for carrying musical equipment such as guitars, keyboards, violins, or other musical instruments as part of their extra baggage allowance.

"In case the musical equipment exceeds the free baggage allowance of one item and/or weighs more than 15 kg, existing excess baggage charges will be applicable," the press release stated.

Since its launch in August 2022, the airline has carried over 5.9 million revenue passengers and connects with 16 cities across India, namely Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, Delhi, Guwahati, Agartala, Pune, Lucknow, Goa, Hyderabad, Varanasi, Bagdogra, Bhubaneswar and Kolkata. The airline has placed an order for 76 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft powered by CFM fuel-efficient and LEAP-1B engines.

Last month, the airline announced that it will soon start operations in cities in West Asia. The airline is also looking to have a mix of other international destinations in regions such as Southeast Asia and East Africa.

Vinay Dube, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Akasa Air, had said, "Our intention is to fly all over, not just West Asia. Our MAX (Boeing 737 MAX aircraft) in its category has the longest range. We're looking at a mix of destinations, which includes Southeast Asia, West Asia, Commonwealth of Independent states countries, East Africa, Male (Maldives), Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, and all the other countries that can be reached within six hours."

Dube added that by March next year, the airline will have a network three times more than the current rate.