‘Objective is to make air travel accessible...': Shankh Airlines chairman says operations likely to start in January

The Indian aviation sector is set to gain a new competitor as Shankh Airlines prepares to commence flight operations in the first half of January. Led by 35-year-old entrepreneur and Chairman Shravan Kumar Vishwakarma, the carrier will debut with an initial fleet of three Airbus aircraft.

The airline's primary focus involves connecting Lucknow with Delhi, Mumbai and other metro cities, Vishwakarma told PTI on Tuesday.

The airline will also operate flights to destinations across Uttar Pradesh in its first phase, he said, adding that two more aircraft are expected to join the fleet within the next one and a half months.

“At present, the fleet size is limited, but as it grows, we will cover the entire country,” he told PTI, noting that plans of international operations are expected to materialise in 2028 or 2029.

Affordable travel for middle class?

At the heart of Shankh Airlines' mission is a commitment to make air travel accessible to middle-class passengers and first-time flyers, and to break the perception that flying is a luxury.

To support this accessibility, Vishwakarma said that ticket prices would not be increased during peak festival seasons, though it intends to price its business-class tickets higher than those of its competitors.

“An aircraft is just a means of transport, like a bus or a tempo. It should not be seen as something exclusive,” he said.

Tapping one of the fastest-growing sectors

Referring to the aviation sector as one of the fastest-growing areas, Vishwakarma said its biggest strength lies in strong cash flow. “There is no credit system in aviation. Many businesses collapse because they depend on credit, but aviation does not work that way,” he said.

Explaining the airline's name, he said, “Our trading firm was already called Shankh, and the name also has a cultural association. That is why we kept the airline's name Shankh as well.”

Speaking on funding for the company, Vishwakarma noted that the airline is fully backed by its parent company.

“The aircraft have been acquired on lease and finance from external companies. We have no funding constraints,” he said, adding the airline was not focused on competitors' market shares. “We are not concerned about who controls what. Our focus is on improving ourselves.”

Beyond logistics and finance, the launch of the airline is also expected to generate employment opportunities for youth, Vishwakarma said.

He encouraged young people to ignore societal scepticism and focus on their personal growth. “The first thing they should stop worrying about is what people will say. If someone who once drove a tempo can run an airline, others can also move ahead. The difference is only in mindset.”