Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed Akasa Air takes delivery of its first Boeing 737 Max aircraft
Premium- Akasa Air in November had signed a deal with Boeing to purchase 72 Max planes
New airline Akasa Air on Thursday took delivery of the first 737 Max aircraft from Boeing in Seattle, USA. The airline had signed a deal with Boeing on November 26, 2021 to purchase 72 Max planes, after Indian aviation regulator DGCA gave the green light to Max aircraft.
The airline, which is backed by Indian ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala and aviation veterans Vinay Dube and Aditya Ghosh, received the no-objection certificate from the Ministry of Civil Aviation in August 2021 to launch commercial flight operations.
In a statement, the airline said, "With a strong commitment to democratise 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."
“This is indeed a symbolic milestone in the journey of Akasa Air, bringing us one step closer to the process of obtaining our Air Operator's Permit (AOP) and leading to our commercial launch," said Vinay Dube, Founder, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Akasa Air.
“Congratulations @AkasaAir on the delivery of your first 737-8! We are excited for you and your passengers," said Boeing in a tweet.
Akasa Air, which is planning to start its commercial flight operations in July, has earlier said its airline code will be "QP". Every airline in the world has a designator code. For example, IndiGo's code is "6E", Go First's is "G8" and Air India's is "AI".
According to a report in PTI, the carrier will start commercial flight operations in July. "As we get closer to the airline launch date, we can now confirm refined estimates on our timelines. We expect our first aircraft delivery by early June 2022, with the intention to start commercial operations in July 2022," Vinay Dube, CEO, Akasa Air, told PTI.
The airline, which is backed by ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala and aviation veterans Vinay Dube and Aditya Ghosh, received the no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Civil Aviation in August 2021 to launch commercial flight operations. It usually takes an airline six months to get an Air Operator’s Permit after getting a NOC.