Akasa Air likely to get 737 Max by mid-June, launch by July

NEW DELHI: New airline Akasa Air is on track to receive its first Boeing 737 Max plane by mid June and launch commercial operations by July, it said on Monday.

The airline on Monday released the photographs of its first Max plane from the Boeing production facility in Portland, US, as the aircraft gets ready for delivery.

“The airline recently reaffirmed its commitment of being on track to receive its first aircraft in India by mid-June and launch commercial operations in India by July 2022,” it said.

The new airline plans to fly 18 aircraft by the end of March 2023 across domestic routes in the country, focusing on metro to tier-2 and tier-3 cities, it noted.

The airline, which is backed by ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala and aviation veterans Vinay Dube and Aditya Ghosh, received the no-objection certificate from the ministry of civil aviation in August 2021 to launch commercial flight operations.

The aviation regulator, the directorate general of civil aviation gave the green light to Boeing 737 Max aircraft to operate in late August last year. Soon after this, on November 26, 2021, Akasa Air signed a deal with Boeing to purchase 72 Max planes.

Akasa Air on Monday said the Max aircraft will be powered by the highly fuel-efficient CFM LEAP B engine.

“Providing the lowest seatmile costs for a single-aisle airplane as well as high dispatch reliability and an enhanced passenger experience, the 737 Max plane is one of the strategic factors that will give Akasa Air a competitive edge in its dynamic domestic market,” the airline said.

India’s growing economy and expanding population will fuel strong demand for commercial flights, driving the need for an estimated 1,000 new airplanes in India over the next 20 years, the airline said.