Air Kerala Gets IATA Code, Eyes June Launch (image-instagram/airkerala_)
Indian startup known as Air Kerala, an ultra low-cost airline – dream project of UAE-based investors – had taken a very big step by securing its International Air Transport Association (IATA) airline code. After receiving the code on Friday, the CEO, Harish Kutty, while speaking to Gulf News, has said that the code they have received is KD. “The code ‘KD’ will be firmed up once we secure the air operator certificate (AOC),” he added.
The IATA airline designators, which are widely known as IATA reservation codes, are two-character codes assigned to the world’s airlines. Usually, the airlines are allotted either two letters or a letter and a numerical code.
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Dubai-based Air Kerala founder and Chairman Afi Ahmed said that for them, KD means ‘Kerala Dream.’ “For non-Keralites, the KD has a multitude of meanings. It could stand for ‘Kerala to Dubai’ or ‘Kerala to Doha.’ For us, this is another step towards making the Air Kerala dream come true,” said Ahmed.
The airline expects to receive its AOC by the end of June. And so far, the airline has received interest and enquiries from prospective UAE and GCC non-resident Keralites (NRKs). The airline has opened its headquarters in Kochi, Kerala, on April 15. The airline was designed to accommodate over 200 aviation professionals working simultaneously. So far, they have recruited 69 employees. “By closer to launch, we will have 200 employees. We are targeting 1,000 employees by the end of the year, and we hope to have seven aircraft by then as well,” said Ahmed.
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The recruited pilots and cabin crew are now undergoing training at the moment in India, added Kutty. The airline’s first flight will take off from Kochi Airport; however, they have not confirmed the launch destinations yet. Gulf-based communities, who had historically depended on major carriers for travel between Dubai, Doha, and Kerala, might soon benefit from more affordable, direct, and frequent flight options.
