India’s newest low-cost carrier Akasa Air has postponed the launch of its regular international flights while it waits to secure its operator’s permit.
Speaking to Outlook India on June 23, 2022, Akasa Air CEO Vinay Dube said that the airline has identified a set of routes it aims to fly to, it is not able to launch flights until it has secured the necessary operational approvals.
“We can’t zoom in on the routes because the airports must give us permission to land, park, office space, and slots. This will be possible only after we get our operator’s permit which we hope to get by this month-end,” Dube said.
Akasa Air remains focused on obtaining its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and now expects to launch international services during the second half of 2023, rather than the summer season of 2022, Dube added.
Founded in December 2021, Akasa Air will offer air connectivity services across a number of cities in India, such as Bangalore (BLR), Delhi (DEL), Chennai (MAA), Hyderabad (HYD), and Mumbai (BOM) as part of its initial network.
However, the exact routes will be announced closer to the airline’s launch date.
Akasa Air took delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX aircraft on June 16, 2022. The jet joined the airline’s fleet around three months after India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) granted the plane’s the green light. The carrier placed an order for a total of 72 Boeing 737 MAX 200 jets back in November 2022. The order was valued at almost $9 billion at list prices.
All planes are scheduled to be delivered by 2027.