Akasa Air announced that it had added the 20th aircraft to its fleet, making it eligible to fly internationally.
Akasa Air, launched in August 2022, has placed orders for 76 Boeing aircraft. In an interview last month, the company said that it is considering expanding its network to the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and other parts of South Asia—Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh—while keeping single-class configuration on the routes.
According to the regulations, one airline requires at least 20 aircraft in its fleet to become eligible for international operations. The late Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed Akasa Air also became the first airline in Asia to add the 737-8-200 variant of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to its fleet.
The company is looking to add up to 800 new workers by the end of this fiscal year as it prepares to start international services. IndiGo and Air India Ltd. also plan to recruit thousands more staff, and both have exciting orders for hundreds of aircraft from Airbus SE and Boeing Co.
"Bearing the registration VT YAV, the airline received the ceremonial keys to the milestone aircraft in Seattle, USA, on July 28, 2023, and the aircraft arrived in Bengaluru at 9:31 hours today," the company said in a press release.
Launched in August last year, Akasa Air's market share stood at 4.9 per cent as it flew 6.18 lakh passengers the previous month. Some domestic carriers have gained market share recently owing to the grounding of the cash-strapped Go First, which stopped flying on May 3.
"Today's landmark addition to our fleet, heralds the international chapter of growth in Akasa's story, and makes us extremely optimistic about our future. We are very excited at the prospect of showcasing our unique and distinct service to the world," said Vinay Dube, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Akasa Air.
About the airline, Dube said, "I don't think, we get caught up in whether we're going to grow a little faster or slow. That's not what we're chasing, we're chasing sustainability, we are chasing the fact that we want to build an airline that will stand the test of time".
"I think we are adequately funded. We were adequately funded to order 72 aircraft. We are adequately funded to add 4 more aircraft on top of that were adequately funded to place another three-digit aircraft order between now and the end of this year," the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Akasa Air said.
