Akasa Air's Boeing Deal "1st Order Of Its Kind On Indian Soil": Minister

Calling it a "landmark order", Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday said that Akasa Air orders of fresh 150 Boeing aircraft for domestic and international expansion are the first order to be signed on "Indian soil."

Addressing a press conference in Hyderabad on Thursday, Mr Scindia said, "Landmark order, the first order of its kind to be signed in India for the procurement of triple-digit aircraft. Akasa's order of 150 Boeing aircraft is the first order to be signed on Indian soil. This is in addition to the already 22 that are in their fleet and the balance 54 that are awaiting delivery. So the first order was for 76 aircraft and now this is the second order which will start coming in 2030 to 2035 for 150 aircraft."

He further added, "This follows the two orders that are landmarks as far as international orders are concerned - the order of Airbus and Boeing with Air India and IndiGo for 500 aircraft and 470 aircraft so that is a huge event from Wing India 2024 today."

Union Civil Aviation Minister said that the first Air India aircraft had been unveiled today brought in by Airbus with the new Air India livery across the belly and tail.

"We have also seen the Airbus A350, the first Air India aircraft that was unveiled today brought in by Airbus with the new Air India livery across the belly and tail. This aircraft will have a higher efficiency with 25 per cent lower fuel burn, world-class ambience and a 9700 nautical mile flying range between 300-410 passengers. It has the capability to fly with 50 per cent sustainable aviation fuel and up to 100 per cent by 2030. It is an environmentally sensitive aircraft," he added.

He further said that along with this Airbus has also signed with Tata to setup a training centre for pilots with 10 full flight simulators in India. With that, we also have Boeing who set up partnerships with MRO partners mainly with AISL which is being finalised for training of our engineers on 737 MAX aircraft.

Earlier today, Boeing and Akasa Air revealed at the Wings India 2024 airshow that the Indian carrier has added 150 more fuel-efficient jets to its order book, including 737-10 airplanes and additional 737-8-200 jets, marking a follow-on 737 MAX order.

Leveraging the 737 MAX family, Akasa Air plans to enhance its domestic and international network in the coming years. Since its inception in 2022, the airline has secured around 4 per cent of India's domestic market share, operating flights to 18 destinations with a fleet comprising 22, 737 MAX jets.

"First Indian airline to reach a firm order book of 200+ aircraft within 17 months of operations The first major aircraft order announced at an airshow in India Reaffirms airline's strong growth trajectory and financial stability," the Akasa announcement read.

The latest order, comprising 737 MAX 10 and 737 MAX 8-200 jets, will provide the airline with a steady aircraft delivery stream through 2032, cementing the company's domestic and international expansion plans.

With this milestone announcement, the first of its kind made at an airshow in India, Akasa Air becomes the only Indian airline in the history of civil aviation to reach an order book of over 200 aircraft within a span of 17 months of commencing operations. This landmark aircraft order is a testimony of the airline's solid financial foundation and showcases Boeing's confidence in Akasa Air's future.

Speaking from the WINGS 2024 airshow at Hyderabad, Vinay Dube, Founder and CEO, Akasa Air said, "This large and historic aircraft order puts Akasa on a path of becoming one of the top 30 leading airlines in the world, by the turn of this decade. Akasa's remarkable growth testifies the sheer promise that India holds as an aviation market, and we are thrilled to be a part of this journey.

These additions to our fleet will help us bolster the strength of our operations as we expand our footprint and foray into international skies in the very near future. Each addition to our fleet brings us closer to our purpose of connecting people, places, and cultures. We are confident in our ability to be able to serve millions of satisfied travellers across the globe, as we step into the next phase of our growth", he added.

"We are at a cusp where it is natural for our ecosystem to celebrate our financial stability, growth potential and market share. However, I am most proud of what Akasa and its employees have been able to achieve in terms of reliability and service excellence while pursuing the highest standards of safety in global aviation. This underscores our growth philosophy of expanding in step with the laser-focused delivery of industry-leading customer experience," Vinay concluded.

In 2021, Akasa Air placed its initial order of 72 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, which was followed up with an order of 4 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in June 2023. This new deal in January 2024, takes the airline's order book to an impressive total of 226 aircraft. Akasa Air currently operates a fleet of 22 aircraft and will receive deliveries of a total of 204 aircraft over the course of eight years.

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