Akasa Air’s first Boeing aircraft lands at IGI airport

Akasa Air, last August, received a no-objection certificate from the Ministry of Civil Aviation in August 2021 to launch commercial flight operations

By: Express Web Desk
New Delhi | June 21, 2022 02:27 PM IST

2 min read

Akasa has earlier announced the launch of its operation from the mid of 2022 onwards. However, no official date has been announced so far. Image/AkasaAir Twitter

Billionaire investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-promoted Akasa Air on Tuesday received its first plane from American aerospace company Boeing.

Boeing’s 737 Max aircraft, which flew from Seattle, touched down at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi this morning.

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“The delivery of Akasa Air’s first aircraft brings the airline closer to obtaining its Air Operator’s Permit (AOP), which is required for it to launch commercial operations in the country,” Akasa Air said in a statement.

Akasa Air, which is also backed by aviation veterans Vinay Dube and Aditya Ghosh, had signed a deal with aerospace giant Boeing to purchase 72 MAX planes last year in November. The low-cost carrier is expecting the delivery of 18 aircraft by March next year and the remaining 54 aeroplanes by 2026.

The airline, last August, received a no-objection certificate from the Ministry of Civil Aviation in August 2021 to launch commercial flight operations.

Akasa has earlier announced the launch of its operations from the mid of 2022 onwards. However, no official date has been set so far.

The company is eying the world’s third-largest aviation market that is rapidly growing with several airlines offering low fare tickets and air connectivity increasing with new routes and airports.

For Boeing, a $9 billion deal with Akasa Air means regaining lost ground in India as its European rival Airbus will be delivering hundreds of aircraft to budget carriers IndiGo and GoAir, in addition to Vistara.

The company suffered huge losses after its 737 Max — the newest member of Boeing’s 737 narrow-body family — was grounded in several countries, including China and India. In October 2018, the 737 Max crashed in the Java Sea shortly after takeoff from Jakarta. Later, in March 2019, another aircraft of the same model crashed in Ethiopia. Both these accidents killed a total of 346 people.

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