He's Launching a New Airline for Kerala | Air Kerala Domestic Airline | ATM Dubai 2026 | Afi Ahmed
In this exclusive interview at ATM Dubai 2026 (Arabian Travel Market), Travel And Tour World sits down with Afi Ahmed, Founder and CEO of Smart Travel Group of Companies, to talk about his journey in the travel trade and his ambitious new venture, Air Kerala, a planned domestic airline for Kerala, India. Key highlights from the interview: 1. Afi Ahmed shares his impression of ATM Dubai 2026, noting the event felt more focused this year with better-quality, realistic business leads compared to previous editions. 2. He talks about his 25-year career in the travel industry before launching his own brand roughly 10 years ago, which grew into Smart Travel Group and Seven Star Smart Travel. 3. Smart Travel Group now operates with 260 staff across multiple verticals, including day tour/package operations and a B2B travel portal business. 4. The company is expanding its business model into B2C, B2B, and B2E channels, with plans to launch an online platform across all its business lines. 5. He announces his role as the driving force behind Air Kerala, a proposed domestic airline for Kerala, driven by demand from the large Kerala NRI community. 6. Air Kerala's rollout plan starts with domestic operations, expanding to international routes once the airline reaches a fleet of 20 aircraft. 7. He shares a target timeline of launching Air Kerala's first flights by the first quarter of next year. 8. The interview closes with well wishes for Smart Travel Group and a note to watch out for Air Kerala's upcoming launch. About Travel And Tour World: Travel And Tour World is a global travel media platform covering travel, tourism, hospitality, aviation, MICE, cruise, and luxury travel, with readership across 195 countries. [Air Kerala, Smart Travel Group, ATM Dubai 2026, Kerala airline, Afi Ahmed, Domestic airline India, Arabian Travel Market, Air Kerala new domestic airline launch, Air Kerala first flight 2027, Smart Travel Group founder interview, new Kerala based airline for NRIs, Kerala domestic airline announcement 2026, ATM Dubai 2026 travel industry interview, Smart Travel Group B2B B2C B2E platform, Seven Star Smart Travel, new Indian domestic airlines 2026, Kerala NRI investment airline, India regional airline expansion, travel technology B2C B2B B2E platforms, ATM Dubai 2026 highlights] #AirKerala #SmartTravelGroup #ArabianTravelMarket #KeralaTourism #DomesticAirline #TravelAndTourWorld #AviationNews #TravelIndustry