Akasa Air Joins IATA as Fifth Indian Member | 13 Jan 2026

Why in News?

Recently, Akasa Air officially became a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Key Points:

• Prerequisite: The airline successfully passed the mandatory IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) in December 2025,a strict, internationally recognized safety and operational benchmark for airlines.
• Peer Group: Akasa joins Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, and SpiceJet as the only Indian IATA members.
• Benefits: Membership enables global credibility, participation in digital transformation, and future interline/codeshare arrangements. 
• Scale: Since its 2022 launch, Akasa has served over 23 million passengers with a fleet of 31 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
• IATA Reach: Represents ~360 airlines accounting for 80% of global air traffic.
• Economic Impact: Aviation in India supports 7.7 million jobs and contributes ~$53.6 billion to the GDP.