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March 28, 2024
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The launch of Indian start-up airline Akasa Air is set to slip by a couple of months until July. Delivery of the carrier’s first aircraft seems to take more time, delaying the launch of its first services. Launch Akasa Air slips to July as it waits for first MAX. 

The new Indian No-Frills Carrier founded by the ex-management team of Jet Airways signed a deal for 72 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft at the Dubai Airshow 2021 and planned to launch operations by mid-2022. Founder and CEO, Vinay Dube, made a statement on April 25 to newswire PTI, stating: “As we get closer to the airline launch date, we can now confirm refined estimates on our timelines. We expect our first aircraft delivery by early June 2022, with the intention to start commercial operations in July 2022.”

Akasa had initially planned to receive its first aircraft this April but no MAX for the airline has been sighted at the Boeing Renton site yet. The airline has stated that it intended to receive eighteen aircraft by the end of March 2023, a plan that is still on track. The first twenty aircraft received by Akasa, however, will be white-tails that were originally ordered by other customers but subsequently canceled. Delivery of these aircraft could come quickly after the paint is completed, although outfitting of the interior depends on the requirements of Akasa. 

Akasa is currently staffing its operations and claims that about 120 flight attendants, 150 pilots, and twenty aircraft engineers have been signed up to join the airline. Once the first aircraft is flown into India, Akasa will have to complete proving flights to display their ability to the Indian regulator DGCA for aircraft type operations, after which they will be able to receive their Air Operators Permit, a necessary condition to be able to operate a scheduled airline in India. 

ajay@livefromalounge.com | + posts

Ajay Awtaney is the Founder and Editor of Live From A Lounge (LFAL), a pioneering digital platform renowned for publishing news and views about aviation, hotels, passenger experience, loyalty programs, travel trends and frequent travel tips for the Global Indian. He is considered the Indian authority on business travel, luxury travel, frequent flyer miles, loyalty credit cards and travel for Indians around the globe.

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