India’s budget carrier Akasa Air is in the process of acquiring 150 Boeing 737 MAX narrowbody planes, news agency Reuters reported on Tuesday. The airlines’ move is the latest bid to tap the travel boom in the world’s fastest-growing aviation market.
Presently, contract negotiations are ongoing, and a deal is expected to be announced at Wings India, the country’s largest civil aviation event scheduled for January 18-21, the news agency mentioned.
The 737 MAX family aircraft delivers superior efficiency in reducing fuel use and carbon emissions, fulfilling the airline’s promise of being an environmentally friendly company with the youngest and greenest fleet in the Indian skies.
The Journey of Akasa Air
Started by Indian billionaire business magnate LateRakesh Jhunjhunwala, Akasa Air is the country’s newest airline, which operates in the low-cost segment. The carrier started its first commercial flight on August 07, 2022, to support the growing demand across India.At present, the airline currently flies only domestically, with a fleet of around two dozen planes.Since its launch in August 2022, the airline has served over 6.3 million passengers, connecting 17 cities across India, namely Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, Delhi, Guwahati, Agartala, Pune, Lucknow, Goa, Hyderabad, Varanasi, Bagdogra, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata and Port Blair.
Meanwhile, the carrier has garnered a market share of 4% since2022, as compared to IndiGo’s 60% share and Tata Group airlines’ combined 26%.
