India’s newest carrier, Akasa Air, has announced it is increasing its order for Boeing 737 MAX aircraft with the purchase of a further four 737-8 jets.
In an announcement with Boeing at the Paris Air Show on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, the two companies celebrated the strengthening of their partnership.
With the order of four additional aircraft, the Indian carrier’s order book comprises 76 jets, which include 23 737-8s and 737-8-200 planes.
Akasa Air launched in 2022 with its first 737-8 and now operates a fleet of 19 airplanes across 16 destinations.
“As the world’s fastest growing airline, we are excited to add four more Boeing 737-8 airplanes into our fleet, taking our initial order of 72 aircraft up to 76 jets which will be delivered over the next four years,” Vinay Dube, Founder and CEO of Akasa Air said.
Dube added: “The fuel efficiency and lower carbon emissions of the 737-8 allows us to remain focused on sustainable operations, while also providing our environmentally conscious passengers with a more comfortable way to fly. Sustainability is at the core of our business, and we strive for more opportunities to reduce our impact to the environment.”
As passenger traffic rises above pre-pandemic levels in India, Akasa believes the 737-8 is well placed to support its growth strategy and domestic network and positions the airline for future regional expansion.
“This follow-on order by Akasa demonstrates the market-leading capabilities of the 737 MAX in the world’s fastest-growing commercial aviation market. The efficiency and range of the 737-8 support Akasa Air’s plan to expand domestic and regional networks,” Brad McMullen, Boeing Senior Vice President of Commercial Sales and Marketing said.
Orders from Indian carriers have so far dominated the Paris Air Show headlines.
On day one of the 54th edition of the event, Indian low-cost airline IndiGo placed an order for 500 Airbus A320neo aircraft to be delivered between 2030 and 2035.
The announcement was the biggest single largest aircraft order in the history of the industry, with IndiGo’s backlog now totalling 1,330 Airbus A320neo aircraft.
Not to be outdone, on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, Air India confirmed that it had finalized an order for up to 290 new Boeing jets and 250 Airbus aircraft.
