New Delhi [India], January 16 (ANI): Akasa Air, India's fastest-growing airline, on Monday announced Apple Pay as a payment option on its website and mobile app, empowering international travellers with a seamless and secure payment experience for all flight bookings. Akasa Air is the first Indian carrier to enable Apple Pay for cross-border transactions, reinforcing its commitment to hassle-free customer experiences across all touchpoints.

This integration has been facilitated in partnership with Razorpay, the first Indian payment gateway to enable Apple Pay for cross-border transactions, making international bookings simpler and more reliable. Recognising payments as a vital element of the customer journey, Akasa Air has integrated Apple Pay to offer a trusted and familiar payment option that reduces drop-offs and supports smoother international bookings for global travellers.

With one-tap payments enabled through Face ID or Touch ID, Apple Pay simplifies the checkout process for customers, making flight bookings faster and more convenient for users of Apple devices. For domestic bookings, the airline continues to accept a wide range of payment instruments to ensure convenience for all customers, including UPI, credit and debit cards, netbanking, digital wallets, EMI options, and Paylater.

This holistic approach to payments underlines Akasa Air's continuous innovation to enhance convenience for all customers. Commenting on the announcement, Naarayan T V, Chief Marketing Officer, Akasa Air, said, 'At Akasa Air, we are committed to building a seamless and intuitive travel experience for our customers across every touchpoint. The integration of Apple Pay is another step in strengthening our digital backbone and enabling secure, frictionless payments for travellers across the globe. As we expand our international presence, offering secure and effortless payment options becomes indispensable.

The introduction of Apple Pay in partnership with Razorpay enables us to deliver precisely that, an elevated booking experience anchored in reliability, customer centricity and technological excellence.' Commenting on this development, Rahul Kothari, COO, Razorpay, said, 'Apple Pay has redefined digital payments by setting a global benchmark for speed, security, and convenience. For merchants, it unlocks smoother checkouts and stronger customer trust, both critical for succeeding in international markets.

We're delighted to power this integration for Akasa Air and support them in delivering seamless, future-ready payment experiences to their global customers.' The Akasa Experience Akasa Air's empathetic and youthful personality, employee-friendly culture, customer-service philosophy, and tech-led approach have made it the airline of choice for millions of customers.

Its brand-new fleet provides ample legroom and comes with USB ports in the majority of aircraft. Cafe Akasa, the airline's onboard meal service, offers an assortment of healthy and delectable meals. Pets on Akasa allows customers to travel with their pets in the cabin or to carry them in cargo.

Akasa Air offers over 25+ ancillary products such as Akasa GetEarly, Seat & Meal Deal, Extra Seat and Akasa Holidays, to deliver on its promise of exceptional customer service. Consistently enhancing the cabin experience for its customers, Akasa has launched several industry-firsts such as SkyScore by Akasa, SkyLights and QuietFlights. Akasa Air has introduced its safety instruction card and onboard menu card in Braille for people with visual impairment.

With a clear focus on sustained, long-term growth, Akasa Air has placed a firm order of 226 Boeing 737 MAX aeroplanes, powered by CFM fuel-efficient LEAP-1B engines. It currently operates 31 737 MAX aircraft, which deliver superior efficiency in reducing fuel use and carbon emissions.

The aircraft also has a quieter cabin with 40 per cent less noise, fulfilling the airline's promise of being an environmentally progressive company with the youngest and greenest fleet in the Indian skies. (ANI)