Akasa Air celebrates pet-travel milestone

Akasa Air announced a significant milestone of flying over 10,000 pets since the launch of its ‘Pets on Akasa’ service in November 2022. The milestone reflects the growing trust pet parents place in Akasa Air’s designed pet travel offering, anchored in safety, comfort and convenience. Since its launch, the service has seen consistent demand across key domestic routes, with repeat travel emerging as a strong indicator of customer confidence. (PHOTO: Akasa Air) To mark the milestone, Akasa Air acknowledged the journey of its 10,000th pet traveller, Topshe, on flight QP 1559 from Mumbai to Kolkata with a small on-ground celebration at check-in, including photographs and videos, along with the presentation of special giveaways to the pet parent by airline representatives. The occasion was also acknowledged onboard and upon arrival in Kolkata, making it a meaningful moment in Akasa Air’s pet travel journey. Key insights: 10,000+ pets flown across the network since launch; Pet travel saw the highest demand during the festive season, with October–December accounting for nearly 35% of annual journeys and monthly volumes nearly 63% higher, reflecting a growing trend of pet parents travelling together with their pets during holidays; From Labradors and Golden Retrievers to Shih Tzus and Indies, pets across breeds have taken to the skies, indicating the mainstreaming of pet travel; Beyond metro cities, strong demand has emerged from Tier II and Tier III markets, with Guwahati among the most travelled routes for pet parents; Of the 10000 furry travellers, 60% pets were dogs and 40% were cats;  93% of pets travelled in-cabin, highlighting a strong preference for pets to fly alongside their parents; Akasa Air has also seen remarkable loyalty from individual customers. One pet parent has flown 26 times on the Mumbai–Goa route with his miniature poodle, Romeo, a testament to the consistency and reliability of Akasa Air’s pet travel experience. Commenting on the milestone, Naarayan T V, Chief Marketing Officer, Akasa Air, said, “From the very start, Pets on Akasa was built around the needs of pet parents, with a focus on creating a structured, safe and consistently dependable travel experience. By actively listening to feedback and continually enhancing the service, we have earned strong loyalty. 26% of pet parents have travelled with us more than once, which reflects the trust they place in the experience. This milestone strengthens our commitment to elevating pet travel in India and ensuring every journey is safer, more comfortable, and truly stress free for pets and their families.” Akasa Air has continuously evolved its pet travel offering based on customer feedback, introducing thoughtful enhancements such as allowing up to three pets per flight, increasing the in-cabin weight limit to 10 kg (including the carrier), simplifying booking processes, and adopting a more flexible health certification policy. These efforts align with the airline’s broader philosophy of building a warm and reliable flying experience. Customers travelling with their pets on Akasa Air enjoy a range of complimentary value-added services, including a pre-booked window seat, priority check-in and boarding, ensuring an elevated flying experience. Akasa Air has undertaken extensive research and provided specialised training for its customer care centre, ground services and in-flight teams, highlighting its commitment to delivering the highest standards of care, safety, and comfort throughout the journey. Moreover, Akasa Air has also partnered with Umeed for Animals Foundation, a Gurgaon-based non-profit animal rehabilitation dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating animals. The airline works with the NGO to implement best practices across processes and policies to continuously enhance pet comfort and safety. Launched on 1st November 2022, Pets on Akasa allows customers to travel on domestic flights across 26 cities with their cats and dogs in the cabin or cargo, based on their weight. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Sally Passey at [email protected]