Akasa Air, India’s newest airline, today announced an order for four additional Boeing 737-8 jets at the ongoing Paris Air Show, a follow-up to the already placed order of 72 aircraft taking it to a total of 76 aircraft which include 23 737-8s and 53 high-capacity 737-8-200 aircraft. The airline is also on course to announce another significant three-digit aircraft order by the end of 2023.
As Akasa Air targets to commence international operations by the end of 2023, the additional order of four 737-8s will fortify the airline’s plans to strengthen its expansion strategy. Since launching operations in August 2022, Akasa Air is the fastest-growing airline in the country with a fleet of 19 aircraft which has carried over 3 million revenue passengers and crossed the milestone of operating over 900 weekly flights with a published network of 36 unique routes connecting 16 cities.
Elaborating on the order, Vinay Dube, Founder and CEO, Akasa Air said, “Akasa Air set a benchmark in the 120 year history of global aviation by becoming the first airline to reach a fleet size of 19 aircraft in less than a year of operations. While we are extremely happy with this achievement, we want to keep ourselves focused on our commitment to contribute to the air transportation ecosystem and support the nation’s economic growth engine. We are excited to add four more Boeing 737-8 to support our international expansion, taking our initial order of 72 aircraft to 76 to be delivered in the next four years. In addition to supporting our rapid domestic expansion, these airplanes allow us to take full advantage of the category leading 737-8 aircraft with its unparalleled range, as we prepare our foray into international routes”.
“We are also on track to finalize another significant three-digit aircraft order and will be ready to announce it before the end of the calendar year”, he added. The order for the Boeing 737-8 is in line with Akasa Air’s commitment to be a sustainable and environmentally progressive airline. The brand-new fleets are equipped with the latest technology engines that reduces fuel use and CO2 emissions by an additional 14% and incorporate the quiet engine technology to reduce the operational noise footprint of the airplane by up to 40%.
