During the first day of the WingsIndia 2024 air show on January 18, Akasa Air stole the show by announcing 150 Boeing 737 Max orders.
The latest order, comprising of 737 MAX 10 and 737 MAX 8-200 jets will provide the airline a steady aircraft delivery stream through 2032, the airline said in a statement.
“With this milestone announcement, Akasa Air becomes the only Indian airline in the history of civil aviation to reach an order book of over 200 aircraft within 17 months of commencing operations,” the press statement added.
This landmark aircraft order is a testimony of the airline’s solid financial foundation and showcases Boeing’s confidence in Akasa Air’s future, the airlines said.
The airline launched its flights in August 2022. This was preceded by its initial order of 72 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. It was followed up with an order of 4 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in June 2023.
Today’s announcement takes the airline’s order book to a total of 226 aircraft.
The airline will receive 76 aircraft from the previous two orders by mid 2027. While the first 24 planes were ordered by Chinese airlines, including China Southern which delayed their deliveries after China suspended imports of MAX plane following global concerns over safety following two crashes in 2018 and 2019 which killed nearly 350 passengers. “The remaining aircraft are built to specifications and in production for Akasa,” Priya Mehra, General Counsel, Akasa Air said.
The airline’s plans to launch international flights have been delayed. They were earlier slated for end of December 2023, but could be announced by March. The airline has bilateral rights to operate flight to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar, according to Praveen Iyer, Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer, Akasa Air.
