New Delhi: India’s youngest airline company, Akasa Air has placed the order to buy as many as 150 Boeing 737 MAX aero planes to enhance its presence in the burgeoning aviation sector of India.
The company made this announcement at a recently held “Wings India” air show in Hyderabad, which drew many plane makers, airlines and government representatives.
Officials of Akasa Air said that the new order was part of Akasa’s plan to expand its domestic and international operations. “The narrow-body Boeing aircraft ordered are equipped to fly to nearby foreign destinations including Southeast Asia and the Middle East from India,” said an official.
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Other major airline companies including Air India and Indigo have last year placed orders to procure a large number of planes from Airbus and Boeing respectively. They had together planned adding around 970 new wide-bodied and narrow-bodied planes in their fleets.
Akasa’s order came to the Boeing at a time when its MAX jetliner programme had run through rough weather since a mid-air cabin panel blowout this month. However, the order doesn’t include the Max 9 variant involved in the incident.
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“Akasa currently has a fleet of 76 aircraft. 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, cementing the company’s domestic and international expansion plans,” the airline said.
Akasa’s total order book now stands at 226 aircraft, bolstering its domestic and international expansion plans, according to the statement. Akasa Air, backed by Rakesh Jhunjhunwala’s family, happens to be India’s newest airline and has a market share of four per cent since it started its operations in 2022.
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IndiGo has a market share of 60% while the Tata Group’s airlines have a combined market share of 26%. The carrier, founded by former Jet Airways CEO Vinay Dube, aims to capitalise on the rising demand for air travel in the country and position itself as a key player in the low-cost segment.
Akasa currently flies to 18 cities across India, including the busiest Mumbai-New Delhi route, and plans to expand its network to the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
