Akasa Air announced an order for 150 Boeing 737 Max planes, expanding its domestic and international operations. The airline aims to become one of the top 30 globally by 2030.
Photograph: PTI Photo
Hyderabad, Jan 18 (PTI) Akasa Air on Thursday announced an order for 150 Boeing 737 Max planes as the less than two-year-old airline looks to expand its domestic and international operations.
The latest order, comprising 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 in a release.
Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said it is a "landmark order".
In 2021, Akasa Air placed its initial order of 72 Boeing 737 Max aircraft, and it was followed up with an order of 4 Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft in June 2023.
"This new deal in January 2024 takes the airline's order book to an impressive total of 226 aircraft. Akasa Air currently operates a fleet of 22 aircraft and will receive deliveries of a total of 204 aircraft over the course of eight years," the release said.
About the new order, Akasa Air founder and CEO Vinay Dube said this large and historic aircraft order puts the airline on a path of becoming one of the top 30 leading airlines in the world, by the turn of this decade.
"These additions to our fleet will help us bolster the strength of our operations as we expand our footprint and foray into international skies in the very near future," he said.
The order was announced at the Wings India 2024 event here.
"Akasa's order of 150 Boeing aircraft is the first order to be signed on Indian soil. And this is in addition to the already 22 that are in their fleet and the balance 54 that are awaiting delivery," Scindia said here.
Akasa Air, which is preparing to start international services, commenced commercial operations on August 7, 2022.
With the latest order, three Indian carriers together have ordered a total of 1,120 planes in less than one year as they expand their presence in the country's fast-growing civil aviation market.
Last year, Air India and IndiGo placed orders for 470 planes and 500 aircraft, respectively.
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