Spreading Wings: Akasa Air plans to procure over 100 aircraft

New Delhi: While Akasa Air has already placed a firm order for 72 Boeing 737 MAX airplanes, the low-cost airline has plans of placing an order for over 100 aircraft in the time to come.

Akasa Air has completed six months of operation, and with the delivery of one aircraft every 15 days, the airline has reached a fleet size of 17 aircraft and has flown over one million passengers since its launch in August 2022.

Akasa Air has been expanding its network across the country in a phased manner with a commitment towards making travel accessible in India through the introduction of routes in Tier 2 and 3 cities.

The company recently received its 17th aircraft and will have a fleet size of 18 by the end of March. Over the next four years, the airline will add 54 additional aircraft, taking its total fleet size to 72.

Without disclosing the exact number, Vinay Dube, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Akasa Air, said that by the end of the year, the airline will place a large order for aircraft, which will take the fleet size to three digits.

"We will continue to strengthen our network and service offerings and extend an unmatched travel experience to our passengers. Bengaluru being our first home is special in many ways, and we are proud of the growing connectivity we are able to offer from the city.

"As we plan our next phase of expansion to serve India's increasing travel demands, both domestic and international, we remain committed to our focus of connecting people, cultures and cities underscored by our warm, efficient and inclusive customer service," he said.

Six months into operation, the airline is operating more than 700 weekly flights across 14 domestic destinations, including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, Chennai, Cochin, Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Agartala, Goa, Vizag, Pune, Lucknow, Hyderabad and Varanasi.

With 36 daily flights from Bengaluru, Akasa Air is the third largest domestic carrier in the city. The airline has flown a total of 0.5 million passengers from the city, which contributes to 70 per cent of the total number of passengers flown across its network to date.

With a growing demand for air travel to and from Bengaluru, the airline has significantly scaled up its operations from the city, currently connecting it with daily flights to 12 destinations across the country.