Akasa Air To Place Large Aircraft Order In 2023, Eyes International Growth

According to its chief executive, India's Akasa Air will place a "significantly" big order for brand-new narrowbody aircraft this year as it seeks to take advantage of strong local demand and launch international service. Out of a total order for 72 aeroplanes that must be delivered by March 2027, the airline, which is just 200 days old, now operates 17 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. Vinay Dube stated in an interview that "we are planning to put another aircraft order by the end of this year that is going to be much greater than the 72 aircraft order we have placed." According to the co-founder of Akasa and the former CEO of the now-defunct full-service airline Jet Airways, the new order would be for narrowbody aircraft. Mr. Dube omitted Budget airlines often prefer to employ a single narrowbody type to help control costs, however it was not immediately clear if the order would go to Boeing or Airbus. The order intentions coincide with a dramatic uptick in travel demand in India following COVID-19, which has made that country the aviation market with the quickest rate of growth. Capacity has surpassed 2019 levels, and passenger numbers are inching closer. In an effort to capitalise on the surge in domestic travel and compete with Gulf competitors like Emirates for international passenger business, Air India made the largest single order for 470 planes on Tuesday. According to consultant CAPA India, Indian airlines are expected to acquire 1,500 to 1,700 planes over the next couple of years, including maybe 500 jets from Akasa competitor IndiGo, the largest airline in the nation.According to Mr. Dube, Akasa will add three aircraft to its fleet during the next three months to get it up to the required 20 to be permitted to fly to foreign locations by the Indian government. He said, "By the end of the year, we want to be flying globally." The airline is focusing on South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East as locations within the 737 MAX's operating range. At a time when demand is still high despite expensive tickets, Mr. Dube stated that Akasa would concentrate on its plan of linking smaller cities with the nation's big metros. Everything, he remarked, "is expanding like gangbusters." The demand would "continue to rise and increase and develop throughout India as a whole."