It has been in the news for long now but it finally seems to be happening. According to reports, Akasa Air is in the final stages of placing a massive aircraft order with Boeing for B737MAX aircraft.
According to Reuters, Akasa Air is close to ordering around 150 Boeing B737MAX aircraft. The negotiations regarding the contract are ongoing and the order is likely to be formally announced at Wings India 2024, India’s largest civil aviation event scheduled from 18th to 21st January 2024.
Akasa Air started operations in August 2022. The airline currently has 76 Boeing B737MAX aircraft on order, with deliveries running through 2027. This new order will enable the airline to secure delivery slots for B737MAXs for 2027 and beyond. The report stated that its new order is likely to include some future purchasing options.
Praveen Iyer, Chief Commercial Officer at Akasa Air, told Indian newspaper Business Line last month that the airline is planning to announce its “three-digit” aircraft order in early 2024.
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Currently, Akasa operates a fleet of 22 aircraft, comprised of 21 B737MAX-8s and a single B737MAX-8-200. The airline serves 17 domestic destinations, having recently added Port Blair to its network.
Akasa Air is preparing to start international flights soon. The airline has missed its target to launch international operations already but is looking to do so as soon as possible and as it gets more aircraft. The airline has been allocated flying rights for flights to Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. SouthEast Asia, Middle East, Central Asia and Eastern Africa are within the Boeing B737MAX’s range and the airline says that these regions are the ones targeted by Akasa.
In October 2023 in an interview, Vinay Dube, Akasa’s Chief Executive Officer, said that at Akasa, they always look at a 10-year plan and as per that, the airline needs to secure aircraft delivery slot until 2032.
If the reports of Akasa ordering more B737MAXs are true, then it will be another big win for Boeing, which has been lagging behind Airbus in the fast-growing Indian market in the narrow-body aircraft segment. Last year, Air India and IndiGo made headlines around the world when they ordered 470 and 500 aircraft respectively, representing some of the largest aircraft order in the history of aviation.
Featured image by Ishan Haria
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