New Delhi, Jan 19 (IANS): Akasa Air has entered a strategic collaboration with the Noida International Airport to support each other in their growth journeys and will base its aircraft at the airport to operate domestic and international flights and support the growing air travel demand in the region, an official said on Friday.

Noida International Airport CEO Christoph Schnellmann said: "We are excited to welcome Akasa Air as our airline partner, marking a significant step forward as we progress towards airport opening. This partnership highlights our commitment to strengthen air connectivity in the Delhi NCR region and western Uttar Pradesh.

"Akasa Air is one of the fastest-growing airlines in the country, and we are thrilled to have them join us on our mission to establish a comprehensive air network, connecting major metros as well as Tier 2 and 3 cities across the country. Our goal remains to offer passengers unmatched connectivity and an exceptional travel experience."

Akasa Air Founder and CEO, Vinay Dube said: "Noida International Airport exemplifies our government’s focus on developing aviation infrastructure as the country moves towards becoming an international aviation hub. Akasa Air’s proposed partnership with the airport is in line with our endeavour to build a holistic network that connects the length and breadth of the nation.

"We are confident that the synergy will enable us to further fortify connectivity to and from the state of Uttar Pradesh and offer a seamless travel experience to passengers across the country. We look forward to the much-awaited launch of the airport and working towards our collaborative goal of making air travel accessible for a greater number of Indians."

The first phase of the Noida International Airport, with one runway, and one terminal will have the capacity to handle traffic of 12 million passengers annually. After the completion of the fourth phase, the airport will have the capacity to manage 70 million passengers per year.