Akasa Air orders 150 Boeing 737 MAX

Indian low-cost airline Akasa Air has placed a big order of 150 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft at Asia’s biggest civil aviation event, Wings India 2024 which is being held in Hyderabad.

The new order includes 737 MAX 10 and 737 MAX 8-200 variants of the Boeing 737 MAX series and deliveries will be ongoing until 2032. With the order, the airline aims to expand its domestic and international operations.

In 2021, the airline initially ordered 72 Boeing 737 Max aircraft, consisting of both 737 MAX 8 and 737 MAX 8-200 variants. Later, in June 2023, the airline expanded its order with an additional 4 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. The latest deal takes the airline’s order book to a total of 226 aircraft. With this order, Akasa Air became the only Indian airline to reach an order book of over 200 aircraft within 17 months of starting operations.

“This large and historic aircraft order puts Akasa on a path of becoming one of the top 30 leading airlines in the world by the turn of this decade. Akasa’s remarkable growth testifies the sheer promise that India holds as an aviation market, and we are thrilled to be a part of this journey. 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. Each addition to our fleet brings us closer to our purpose of connecting people, places, and cultures. We are confident in our ability to be able to serve millions of satisfied travellers across the globe, as we step into the next phase of our growth,” says Vinay Dube, Founder, and CEO, Akasa Air.

“We are at a cusp where it is natural for our ecosystem to celebrate our financial stability, growth potential, and market share. However, I am most proud of what Akasa and its employees have been able to achieve in terms of reliability and service excellence while pursuing the highest standards of safety in global aviation. This underscores our growth philosophy of expanding in step with the laser-focused delivery of industry-leading customer experience.”

The airline operates a fleet of 22 aircraft and will receive deliveries of 204 aircraft over the course of eight years.

The airline has opted not to choose the Boeing 737 MAX 9 variant, which is facing a turbulent time due to the latest events experienced by other carriers, for the new order.

Aligning with the airline’s commitment to sustainability, the 737 MAX family provides greater range and fuel efficiency, reducing fuel use and carbon emissions by 20 percent.