Ready to take off – Rakesh Jhunjhunwala's Akasa Air receives its first Boeing aircraft

• Rakesh Jhunjhunwala’s Akasa Air has received its first aircraft from Boeing.
• The aircraft will fly to Delhi early next week, even as the airline is yet to receive its air operator permit.
• Akasa Air plans to launch its first domestic flight in July this year.
• It has ordered 72 planes in total and aims to get 18 planes by March 2023.

Rakesh Jhunjhunwala’s Akasa Air on Thursday announced that it has received the delivery of its first aircraft, Boeing 737 Max, in Seattle. The airline had shared the first images of its aircraft a couple of weeks ago.

Akasa Air has ordered 72 planes in total and aims to get 18 planes by March 2023.

"Flying an advanced, environmentally progressive 737 MAX fleet with greater fuel efficiency and lower operating costs will enable Akasa Air to profitably serve the Indian market while passing those savings on to its passengers,” Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said.

“This is indeed a symbolic milestone in the journey of Akasa Air, bringing us one step closer to the process of obtaining our AOP [Air Operator Permit] and leading to out commercial launch, focused on the task of delivering on our vision to transform India’s air transportation ecosystem, support the nation’s economic growth engine and help fellow Indians chase their dreams,” Vinay Dube, founder, MD and CEO of Akasa Air, said.

Akasa Air, which is owned by Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, was founded by former Jet Airways chief Dube and former IndiGO president Aditya Ghosh. It has already signed up 154 pilots for the airlines, about 26 of these pilots are already on the company’s payroll. Besides this, it has also signed up 115 cabin attendants and 14 engineers to join the company.

The company plans to launch its first domestic flight in July this year. It will be eligible for international travels once it has boarded 20 aircrafts in its fleet.

Seventh Indian airline to have a bird in the sky

Akasa Air will be India’s seventh airline with IndiGo, Air India, Vistara, SpiceJet, Go Airlines and Jet Airways, which resumed its operations in April this year

Akasa Air is yet to appear before the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for a proving flight, which is a requirement to get the license of an air operator. The company received its initial no-objection certificate on October 11 and has applied for Air Operator Permit (AOP).

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