New airline Akasa Air on Friday, July 22, said it will launch commercial flight operations on August 7 by operating its first service on Mumbai-Ahmedabad route using Boeing 737 Max aircraft. In a statement, the carrier said it has opened ticket sales on 28 weekly flights it will be operating on Mumbai-Ahmedabad route from August 7, as well as on 28 weekly flights it will operate on the Bengaluru-Kochi route from August 13.
Akasa Air, which is backed by ace stock market investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, will launch commercial operations with two 737 Max aircrafts. Boeing has delivered one Max plane and the second one's delivery is scheduled to take place later this month. Praveen Iyer, Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer, Akasa Air, said, “We kick-start operations with flights between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, with the brand-new Boeing 737 Max aircraft. We will adopt a phased approach to support our network expansion plans, progressively connecting more cities, as we add two aircraft to our fleet each month, in our first year."
The carrier had on July 7 received its air operator certificate (AOC) from aviation regulator DGCA. The grant of AOC marks the satisfactory completion of all regulatory and compliance requirements for the airline's operational readiness, Akasa Air said in a statement.
With the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) giving its green light to Max planes in August 2021, Akasa Air signed a deal with Boeing on November 26 last year to purchase 72 Max aircraft.
By the end of the fiscal year 2022-23, the airline will have 18 aircraft and thereafter, will add 12-14 aircraft every 12 months. This will make up its order of 72 aircraft to be delivered over a period of five years, it said.
Last November, Akasa Air announced ordering 72 '737 Max' aircraft from Boeing. The order includes two variants from the 737 Max family -- 737-8 and 737-8-200.