Mashable: In April, it was reported that Dubai-based Indian businessmen were planning to launch an airline for expats from the Southern Indian state of Kerala. Now, it's all coming true. A low-cost airline is coming to reality. Yes, you read that right!
 
Powered by two Dubai-based businessmen, Air Kerala received the initial no-objection certificate (NOC) from India's civil aviation ministry. The announcement was made at a recent press conference in Dubai.
Indian expats could soon be flying home for very economical prices as a low-cost airline is one step closer to reality.

Powered by two Dubai-based businessmen, Air Kerala received the initial no-objection certificate (NOC) from India’s civil aviation ministry over the weekend.… pic.twitter.com/U77rUOso9U — Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) July 8, 2024
According to Khaleej Times, the airline is registered under the name Zettfly Aviation. It has the permission to operate scheduled commuter air transport services for three years. Businessmen Afi Ahmed and Ayub Kallada are behind this.
 
While speaking to Khaleej Times, Afi Ahmed said, "This is the result of years of our hard work." Adding to that, Afi also mentioned that he and his partners worked 'tirelessly to make this a reality'. He added that they were questioned by many people but the result says everything. "We still have a long way to go but the NOC is a big step for us," added Ahmed.
 
In 2023, Afi Ahmed, founder of the agency Smart Travels, paid a local company a whopping Dh1 million for the domain name airkerala.com. The project was first promoted by the Government of India in 2005. Due to unknown reasons, the project was shelved.

Now that the NOC is in hand, the airline must undergo several important steps before launching flights. Talking about the same, Ayub Kallada said, "Our next steps involve acquiring aircraft and complying with the necessary regulatory requirements to obtain our Air Operator's Certificate (AOC)." The businessman added that they are planning to 'start operations with ATR 72-600 aircraft.'
Once the aircraft has been procured, Air Kerala will have to operate regionally before it can branch out into international flights. Ayub shared, "We plan to connect Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities with Tier 1 and metro airports." According to the businessman, this will help improve accessibility and convenience for travellers across these regions.

Adding to that, Afi mentioned that once they expand it to 20 aircraft, the team will start exploring international routes. Afi added that doing so will help in promoting tourism and trade in Kerala. Furthermore, it will bring in at least 350 jobs to the city.