Akasa Air Receives 25th 737 MAX, Doubling Gulf Flights, New Destinations and More

MUMBAI- India’s newest low-cost carrier, Akasa Air (QP) has received the delivery of the 25th Boeing 737 MAX, which is the first made exclusively for the airline.

Akasa Air’s CEO recently told Gulf News that they are planning to double its flight frequencies on existing Middle-Eastern routes. Furthermore, as per our source, Akasa Air is planning to enter the Southeast Asian market with a new destination.

Akasa Air 25th Boeing 737 MAX Delivery | Photo: Akasa Air

Akasa Air 25th 737 MAX Delivery

On September 9, 2024, Akasa Air Boeing 737 MAX 8-200, registered as VT-YBB operating flight as QP9525 took off from Boeing Field Seattle (BFI) at 2:48 AM UTC.

At the time of writing this post, the aircraft is airborne and is over Greenland and will land in Reykjavik (KEF), Iceland for a fuel stop. The flight will make another fuel stop in Larnaca (LCA), Cyprus before landing at Hyderabad Airport (HYD).

The flight is special and it’s operated by Captain Bhavna Gandhi and Sanaya Chothia.

The MAX 8-200 aircraft has 197 seats, nine more compared to the standard MAX 8 variant.

Furthermore, the 26th 737 MAX, registered as VT-YBC for Akasa is also in ready to delivery phase and is expected to leave Seattle on the 12th of September 2024.

So far Akasa Air has ordered 226 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, with the First order in 2012 for 72 aircraft, four in June 2023 at the Paris Air Show, and a mega 150 order in January at Wings India 2024.

With the delivery of VT-YBC, Akasa Air will have 200 planes on order which will be delivered in phases until 2032 or beyond.

Akasa Air also expects Boeing 737 MAX 10 deliveries by 2027. The details of the order split between 737 MAX 8 and 10 is unknown.

Photo: Sandeep Pilania

Delivery After 6 Months

Akasa Air’s fleet expansion has stalled since February, with no new aircraft additions after introducing its 24th plane. CEO Vinay Dube attributes the delay to global availability issues, avoiding direct criticism of Boeing.

Boeing recently alerted customers about potential delays of three to six months for aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2025 and 2026. These delays compound existing late handovers, further impacting airlines’ growth plans.

Media reports suggest that deliveries initially slated for next year may now extend into 2026, exacerbating the backlog and potentially disrupting airlines’ operational strategies.

With the delivery of these two planes, the airline can expand its operation and they are already planning to do it.

Photo: Akasa Air

Doubling Gulf Flights

Akasa Air aims to double its daily flights to Gulf destinations while maintaining affordable fares on these high-demand routes. The airline launched international services in March and currently operates one daily flight on Gulf-bound routes.

Vinay Dube, Akasa’s founder and CEO, expressed confidence in the airline’s international expansion plans despite Boeing’s announced delays in 737 Max aircraft deliveries. Akasa Air currently serves five overseas destinations – Abu Dhabi (AUH), Doha (DOH), Jeddah (JED), Kuwait City (KWI), and Riyadh (RUH)- from Mumbai.

Dube told Gulf News that specific expansion plans, including increased flight frequencies and new Indian departure points for Gulf routes, remain undetermined. He emphasized that Akasa’s network growth will likely mirror economic activities between India and Gulf countries.

Neelu Khatri, co-founder and Senior Vice-President – International reported to Gulf News that Akasa Air has completed over 330 flights in the Gulf sector within 120 days of operation.

The airline maintains an average passenger load factor of 70 percent and has already operated Hajj flights. Approximately 45 percent of Akasa’s international travelers use connecting flights to various Indian destinations, including Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Varanasi, Cochin, and Lucknow.

Photo: BFI Watch ca350

Akasa Air Mumbai to Bangkok Flights

Praveen Iyer, co-founder, and Chief Commercial Officer revealed plans with Gulf News to increase Middle East flights and expand towards Southeast Asia by the end of the fiscal year.

According to unconfirmed reports, Akasa Air is planning to launch new flights from Mumbai to Bangkok soon.

The airline is aiming to transit the Middle East passengers to Southeast Asian cities via its Mumbai hub. However, it will face strong competition from existing carriers and new entrants such as Nok Air (DD).

Further, Thai Lion Air (SL) offers direct flights between Mumbai and Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok. Subsequently, there are three carriers i.e. Air India (AI), IndiGo (6E), and Thai Airways (TG) that offer flights between Mumbai and Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), the main airport of the country.

Photo: Akasa Air

Fund Raise

Akasa plans to raise $1 billion in debt and equity over the next three years to expand its fleet and market share.

Akasa Air plans to take delivery of about 50 new aircraft within the next two to three years and expand its domestic and international network. The airline’s management estimates that $1 billion will be needed to support this growth, according to a senior executive.

The Jhunjhunwala family, along with Co-Founder and CEO Vinay Dube, owns over 65% of the airline, with the family holding a 40% stake as the largest shareholder.

What are your thoughts on Akasa Air fleet and network expansion plans? Are they achievable? Let us know in the comments.

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