India's Akasa Air orders 150 Boeing 737 MAX planes

By Shakir Husain 

NEW DELHI, Jan 18 (Bernama) -- India's newest airline, Akasa Air, announced on Thursday that it has placed an order for 150 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft because it anticipates rapid operational growth.

Hyderabad, in southern India, hosted the Wings India aviation exhibition, where the agreement for 737-10 and 737-8-200 aircraft was announced.

"We are excited to announce this historic order for 150 new Boeing airplanes, increasing our total orders from Boeing to 226 jets. In addition to supporting our rapid domestic expansion, the efficiency and economics of these new airplanes position Akasa to launch international routes in the coming months," said Vinay Dube, Akasa Air founder and chief executive officer.

Since launching operations in 2022, the airline, backed by the late billionaire Rakesh Jhunjhunwala's family, holds a four per cent share of the domestic market.

The budget airline operates a fleet of 22 Boeing 737 MAX jets, serving 18 destinations.

"The efficiency and versatility of the 737-10 and 737-8-200 will support Akasa Air's expansion to meet soaring demand for air travel in the region for many years to come," said Stephanie Pope, Boeing chief operating officer.

Boeing's 2023 market outlook forecasts delivery of 2,705 new commercial airplanes over the next 20 years in the India and South Asian region and nearly 90 per cent of these will be single-aisle jets.

Indian Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia congratulated the airline "for creating history" by becoming the first Indian airline to reach a firm order book of more than 200 aircraft within 17 months of operations.

"As India's newest airline, Akasa Air has firmly established its presence in the aviation ecosystem, enhancing connectivity across the country," Scindia said.

-- BERNAMA