India, Sept. 19 -- Fortunes in civil aviation swing more than in most other sectors, given that it is vulnerable to any number of factors, including external ones. There could be a billionaire in the cockpit one day, and before you know it, they would have lost it all. Yet, perhaps, no other sector allows players such latitude in shaping their trajectory. Start with the right intent and the right people, and a few wrong twists and turns will be forgiven and forgotten. Both Jet Airways (until its closure) and IndiGo, India's two private-sector success stories in civil aviation, have been through many twists and turns but both had the right intent and the right people at the helm almost all through. In the Indian context, founders and owners hold the key to success. While they might blame circumstances, environment, government actions or inaction for airline failures, these actually stem more from poor administrative or financial management, wrong intent, poor handling of people or some fundamental flaw in the business model than anything extraneous. That's why the Indian flying public should rejoice that Akasa Air now shows promise of becoming a strong number three in a market that is veering towards a duopoly, with all the inherent risks and dangers of such a market structure. The airline recently surged ahead of rivals in many sectoral parameters, including load factor - at 90.2% in August, it was higher than both the market leader IndiGo and SpiceJet (which has always had high loads despite floundering over the last few years). With 30 aircraft, the airline now flies to 24 domestic and six international destinations. Capacity and revenue have risen by over 45% in a single year, and, while the airline is still making losses, new and heavyweight investors have backed it, bringing in much-needed funds. The Rakesh Jhunjhunwala family, too, has reaffirmed its confidence by putting in further funds, while holding less than 51% stake. The airline's distributed ownership works well to keep all shareholders in check. There are two areas where Akasa appears to have stolen a march over rivals, which should hold it in good stead if it stays the course. First, while the airline has been accused of being rather top-heavy right from the start, the fact remains that, unlike Air India and others in the past, it primarily has seasoned aviation professionals, many of whom have cut their teeth in full service airlines. Senior management in IndiGo, I can confirm, takes this minnow more seriously for now than it does its closest rival, Air India, which only evokes mild amusement. Second, and perhaps the single-most important factor, is its people-handling, led by CEO Vinay Dube. Dube, in his earlier role as CEO of Go First, has closely seen how mismanagement in this regard can destroy a good business. Akasa has not only managed to move past the unpleasant episode with its pilots in 2023, but its staff also seems to be among the happiest in the sector. The airline took measures to mollify its crew, including introducing a "21 days on and 9 days off" work pattern that the pilots were seeking. Two recent experiences I had with the airline staff validated what I hear from the industry. In an era of short fuses and pursed lips, if one's luggage at check-in exceeds the limit by even 100 grams, one can expect to be firmly told to pay extra luggage charges. However, a check-in counter staffer at the MOPA airport in Goa patiently helped organise my baggage in a way that would obviate the need to pay extra for baggage, while keeping to the company's rules. It wasn't the fact that she saved me a few thousand rupees that made the interaction so unusually pleasant. It was her handling of the entire episode, given how unaccustomed passengers are to such treatment at airport counters across cities. The sceptic in me could pin this to the "Goa effect" - people are quite willing to go out of their way to help others in the state - as an alternative explanation, but if it is indeed an example of a broader culture at the airline, then Akasa is certainly leagues ahead of others. On an Akasa flight to the national capital, an infant faced a serious medical emergency, seeming almost inert soon after take-off. An announcement sought help from doctors on board and, on their advice, the captain lost no time in diverting the flight to Mumbai, where an equipped ambulance was waiting on the tarmac when we landed. Again, although the crew on the flight was very young, it handled the crisis with calmness and maturity - rare in such stressful situations. The captain apologised for the delay, but everybody knew how every minute of the delay went into attempting to saving a young life. Akasa insiders tell me that the airline has a very open office atmosphere, with easy access for all to the top management - another factor that is a make-or-break in today's aviation landscape. I will end here by saying that if the airline continues determinedly on this path, India's flying public can hope for light at the end of the duopoly tunnel that the sector seems to have entered....