Dubai: The new Indian airline, Air Kerala, has confirmed Harish Kutty as CEO to spearhead the launch. He will bring a 35-year track record in the aviation industry, including stints at British Airways.
Air Kerala is backed by Dubai-based investor, Zettfly Aviation Ltd.
“AirKerala.com is not merely an airline; it is the realization of a long-cherished dream shared by millions of Malayalees worldwide,” said Kutty. “This airline represents the hopes, culture, and spirit of our people, and I accept with deep dedication the responsibility to bring this dream to life.”
The startup airline’s CEO aims to begin UAE services a year after launching domestic operations, expected by the second quarter of 2025.
The carrier received its initial NOC from India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) to operate regional commuter air services in July, and anticipates obtaining its Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) by next summer.
“We are in the pre-application stage for the AOC at the moment,” said Kutty. “It is a time-consuming process, and we are expecting to receive it by April–May 2025.”
Fleet development
The airline is in the process of dry leasing three ATR 72-60s. The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop short-haul regional airliner developed and produced in France and Italy by aircraft manufacturer ATR. It has a seating capacity of 78 passengers.
“We are in touch with the manufacturer (of the ATR), who has connected us to the lessors,” said Kutty. “We will be placing the orders by mid-next year.”
The airline, which will operate out of its hub in Kochi, Kerala, plans to connect Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities with Tier 1 and metro airports in India. This will help improve accessibility and convenience for travellers across these regions.
AirKerala, developed to assist expatriate Malayalees travel to their home countries at affordable fares, hopes to launch its international operations by 2028.
“As per MoCA regulations, we need to expand our fleet to 20 aircraft to expand internationally,” he said. “We are well placed to do that no later than 2028. Our choice of aircraft would be the narrow-body Boeing 737s or the Airbus A320s. We also plan on acquiring these aircraft from the leasing market,” he added.
Hiring plans
According to Kutty, the airline's next step is to hire post-holders, who are qualified personnel who decides on airworthiness of an aircraft. The carrier will then focus on pilot and cabin crew recruitment and training.
“Our focus is not to compete with the big carriers with robust operations covering major hubs,” said Kutty. “For example, we don’t want to compete on the hyper-busy Delhi-Mumbai routes.
“Our goal is to connect underserved markets such as Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu to Hyderabad. We aim for air fares that are just 50 to 60 per cent higher than bus fares on this route. Our priority is safe and affordable travel.”
Started his career with British Airways
Harish Kutty started at British Airways in 1993 and has since held management roles with leading airlines in India and the GCC. Recently, he served as director of revenue and network planning at SalamAir.
Previous roles include being a member of the startup teams for Air Arabia and Wataniya Airways (Kuwait). He also served as chief commercial officer at SpiceJet, commercial director at Wataniya Airways, and vice-president of commercials at RAK Airways. He was also the chief commercial officer for Georgian airline flyvista.
