Shankh Air, which has received a no-objection certificate from the Civil Aviation Ministry, plans to start services in the first quarter of 2026.
In a statement on Wednesday, Shankh Aviation said its aircraft are currently undergoing technical reviews and are being readied for delivery to India. Shankh Air will be operated by Uttar Pradesh-based Shankh Aviation.
Shankh Aviation chairman and managing director Sharvan Kumar Vishwakarma met Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Monday and briefed him about the airline's plans. According to Vishwakarma, the airline plans to launch its flight services around the first quarter of 2026. He also said the company aims to scale up its fleet to 20–25 aircraft over the next two to three years.
The minister assured full cooperation from the ministry and the DGCA to ensure that necessary procedures are completed in a time-bound manner, enabling the airline to begin operations smoothly, as per the statement.
Currently, there are nine scheduled domestic airlines in the country, which is one of the world's fastest growing civil aviation markets.
Two other new airlines, Al Hind Air and FlyExpress, are also set to take to the skies with the carriers receiving no-objection certificates from the Civil Aviation Ministry. Al Hind Air is being promoted by Kerala-based Alhind Group.
The ministry is keen to have more airline operators in the country. Currently, there are nine operational scheduled domestic carriers in the country. Fly Big, a regional airline, suspended scheduled flights in October.
IndiGo and Air India Group – Air India and Air India Express – together have over 90 per cent of the domestic market share. Concerns about apparent duopoly in the fast-growing domestic airlines industry got amplified this month in the wake of the massive operational disruptions at IndiGo, which has a market share of more than 65 per cent.
"Over the last one week, pleased to have met teams from new airlines aspiring to take wings in Indian skies - Shankh Air, Al Hind Air and FlyExpress. While Shankh Air has already got the NOC from the Ministry, Al Hind Air and FlyExpress have received their NOCs this week," Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said in a post on X on Tuesday.
Schemes like UDAN have enabled smaller carriers Star Air, India One Air and Fly91 to play an important role in regional connectivity within the country and there is scope for further growth, he said.
Apart from Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo and state-owned Alliance Air, other scheduled carriers are Akasa Air, SpiceJet, Star Air, Fly91 and IndiaOne Air, as per the latest data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). In the past years, many airlines, including Go First and Jet Airways, stopped flying amid debt woes.
Also read: Singapore airlines to invest ₹ 3,194 Cr in Air India
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