Akasa Air, a new Indian airline owned by stock trader and investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, took delivery of its first aircraft, a Boeing 737 MAX-8 registered as VT-YAA. The airline, which has not yet started scheduled operations, mantains an order for another 71 aircraft of the same type.
The initially planned start of services date has already been postponed once, due to the delay in deliveries. In May, the company had advanced that it expected to receive its first aircraft in mid-June and begin commercial operations in July. With its first aircraft, Akasa Air is now getting closer to obtaining its Air Operator’s Certificate (AOP).
The aircraft arrived against a backdrop of an expanding Indian airline market. According to credit rating agency ICRA, the recovery of domestic passenger traffic deepened over the past few months and is 98% of the pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.
“The arrival of our first aircraft is a very happy moment for all of us and marks an important milestone, bringing us closer to our vision of building India’s greenest, most dependable, and most affordable airline”, noted Vinay Dube, founder and CEO of Akasa Air.
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