Akasa Air orders 150 more Boeing 737 MAX Jets for domestic, international expansion

HYDERABAD: Boeing and Akasa Air announced that the Indian carrier has placed a follow-on 737 MAX order, confirming 150 more fuel-efficient jets in its order book. The purchase of 737-10 airplanes and an additional 737-8-200 jets by India’s all-737 operator was revealed at the Wings India 2024 airshow here at Begumpet on Thursday.

Akasa Air will leverage the 737 MAX family to expand its domestic and international network in the coming years. Since launching operations in 2022, the airline has captured approximately 4 percent of India’s domestic market, serving 18 destinations with a fleet of 22 737 MAX jets.

“We are excited to announce this historic order for 150 new Boeing airplanes, increasing our total orders from Boeing to 226 jets. In addition to supporting our rapid domestic expansion, the efficiency and economics of these new airplanes position Akasa to launch international routes in the coming months,” said Vinay Dube, Akasa Air founder and CEO.

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The lower carbon emissions of the 737 MAX family allowed the airline to remain focused on sustainable operations, while also providing the airline environmentally conscious passengers with a more comfortable way to fly. Sustainability is at the core of Akasa’s business, helping it to strive for more opportunities to reduce our environmental impact, he said. Both 737 MAX variants will provide Akasa Air with added capacity and range on new and existing routes while reducing fuel use and carbon emissions by 20% compared to older-generation airplanes.

“This milestone demonstrates the strength of our partnership with Akasa Air and is a testament to the capabilities of the 737 MAX family to further the airline’s operational priorities,” said Stephanie Pope, Boeing's Chief Operating Officer. “The efficiency and versatility of the 737-10 and 737-8-200 will support Akasa Air’s expansion to meet soaring demand for air travel in the region for many years to come,” he added.

As Akasa Air looks to expand its network in India and South Asia, Boeing’s 2023 Commercial Market outlook forecasts the delivery of 2,705 new commercial airplanes over the next 20 years for the region, of which nearly 90% will be single-aisle jets. This order was finalised in December 2023 and was unidentified on the Boeing Orders & Deliveries website.