Akasa Air has become the first non-Ryanair airline to operate the Boeing 737 MAX-8-200 after taking delivery of its first aircraft of the type.
The airline welcomed the aircraft, registered as VT-YAV, on August 1, 2023, which landed at Bengaluru Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) following a two-stop journey from Seattle Boeing Field (BFI). The Boeing 737 MAX-8-200 stopped at Keflavik International Airport (KEF), Iceland, and Larnaca International Airport (LCA), Cyprus.
“Today’s landmark addition to our fleet, heralds the international chapter of growth in Akasa’s story, and makes us extremely optimistic about our future,” Vinay Dube, the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Akasa Air, said.
“Going from 0 to 20 aircraft within 12 months is not just an Akasa record but a record that encapsulates the potential of our great country and one for our whole nation to be proud of,” Dube added.
With the addition of the aircraft, the Indian low-cost carrier became the fourth airline to operate the 737 MAX-8-200 globally. The other three are all associated with the Ryanair Group, including Ryanair, Buzz, and Malta Air. This fact was first pointed out by Max Kingsley-Jones, a senior consultant at Cirium.
According to ch-aviation.com data, a total of 124 Boeing 737 MAX-8-200 have been delivered to the four airlines.
Ch-aviation.com data also shows that Boeing’s backlog includes a further 222 737-MAX-8-200 aircraft.
Meanwhile, Akasa Air has a total of 76 737 MAX aircraft on order, split between 23 737 MAX and 53 737 MAX-8-200s. It added 737 MAX-8s to its order book during the Paris Air Show 2023, taking the total to 76 jets. With the delivery of the newest 737 MAX-8-200, the low-cost carrier now has 20 aircraft in its fleet.
At the same event, Dube teased that the airline was “on track to finalize another significant three-digit aircraft order and will be ready to announce it before the end of the calendar year”.