Akasa Air’s next order will be placed before the end of this year and will be much larger than the current order, said CEO Vinay Dubey during a press conference. He did not disclose the exact number but said that the order will be in three digits and it will be significant.
The airline has created a buzz in the Indian civil aviation circles post this announcement. Just within six months into operation the carrier has make an impressive start with the market share of about 3% and passenger count of one million and counting, the airline is on a steady growth path.
Akasa’s first order with Boeing includes 72 737 MAX aircraft, with deliveries spread over the next few years until 2027. Akasa is one of India’s fastest-growing airlines. With the delivery of one aircraft every 15 days, the airline has reached a fleet size of 18 aircraft. Dube also said that the carrier will hire 300 pilots over the next 12 months to support operations and will need at least 3,500 pilots over the next ten years to support its growth.
Akasa Air currently operates 36 daily flights from Bengaluru and has flown a total of 0.5 million passengers from the city, which contributes to 70% of the total number of passengers flown across its network so far.
The airline operates over 700 weekly flights across 14 domestic destinations with focus on Tier II and Tier III cities. However, the airline has plans of international expansion too. As soon as it reaches a fleet size of 20 aircraft towards the end of this year, Akasa plans to launch offshore services.