Indian billionaire Rakesh Jhunjhunwala's newly launched airline, Akasa Air, will start its commercial flight operations on August 7, with its first service on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route using Boeing 737 Max aircraft. The airline carrier has already started the sale of the tickets on 28 weekly flights it will be operating on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route from next month.
In addition to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route, Akasa Air has also started the sale of tickets on 28 weekly flights for its Bengaluru-Kochi route flights, which will start operations on August 13. The carrier will launch commercial operations with two 737 Max aircraft. Boeing has delivered one Max plane and the second one's delivery is scheduled to take place later this month.
#ItsYourSky We are progressively expanding our network and connecting more cities. ✈️
— Akasa Air (@AkasaAir) July 22, 2022
Check our network here: https://t.co/LTdf62tTk1 pic.twitter.com/IxEF47fOWP
Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Akasa Air, Praveen Iyer, said that the air carrier will adopt a phase-wise approach to expand its operations and will add two aircraft to its fleet each month.
"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," Iyer said.
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. The order includes two variants from the 737 MAX family -- 737-8 and 737-8-200.
Akasa Air also took delivery of its first Boeing 737 max aircraft in India on June 21 and planned to conduct proving flights, following which it will get the Air Operator Permit for launching commercial operations.
The carrier had on July 7 received its air operator certificate (AOC) from aviation regulator DGCA. The airline had also unveiled the first look of its crew uniform and said that it focuses on providing the best possible stretch to ensure their comfort over their busy flight schedule.
"We are pleased to announce the receipt of our Air Operator Certificate (AOC). This is a significant milestone, enabling us to open our flights for sale and leading to the start of commercial operations," Akasa Air had tweeted.