New airline from Uttar Pradesh gets govt approval, set to compete with IndiGo, Air India

India's newest airline, Shankh Air, has received approval from the Civil Aviation Ministry to operate in the country. It will be the first scheduled airline from Uttar Pradesh, with Lucknow and Noida serving as its primary hubs. The airline aims to connect major cities across India, offering both interstate and intrastate routes.

In June, Shankh Air chairman Sharvan Kumar Vishwakarma met with Union Minister of Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu to discuss the airline's strategic direction and developments as a full-service start-up airline. Before that, in March, the co-founders and management team of Shankh Air met with Noida International Airport CEO Christoph Schnellmann and COO Kiran Jain to discuss a partnership aimed at strengthening Uttar Pradesh's initiative towards improving air connectivity.

However, Shankh Air still requires clearance from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) before it can officially take to the skies. The Civil Aviation Ministry, in its approval letter, directed Shankh Air to adhere to all regulations, including those related to foreign direct investment (FDI) and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).