India’s newest low-cost carrier Akasa Air has taken delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
The plane was delivered on June 16, 2022, around three months after India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) granted the planes the green light.
The newcomer has 72 Boeing MAX aircraft on order, which are to be delivered by 2027. Akasa Air is scheduled to receive 18 aircraft from Boeing by March 2023.
“With a strong commitment to democratizing the skies, the airlines’ total order of 72 aircraft includes an initial delivery of 18 aircraft by March 2023, followed by delivery of the remaining 54 aircraft over the course of the next four years,” Akasa Air said in a statement.
Akasa Air placed an order for Boeing 737 MAX 200 jets back in November 2021. At the time, Akasa Air’s order was valued at almost $9 billion at list prices.
Founded in December 2021, Akasa Air will offer air connectivity services across various cities in India, such as Bangalore (BLR), Delhi (DEL), Chennai (MAA), Hyderabad (HYD), and Mumbai (BOM) as part of its initial network.
The carrier provided no further details regarding flight frequency or additional destinations. However, the newcomer said exact routes would be announced nearer to the airline’s launch date.
Akasa Air is currently focused on obtaining its Air Operator Certificate (AOC). It aims to launch operations in July 2022.