Akasa Air expands fleet with 29th aircraft

Akasa Air on Monday announced the addition of 29th aircraft to its fleet with the Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 aircraft, with registration number VT-YBG, arriving at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru. The induction of this aircraft comes within 33 months of Akasa Air’s operations.

The first leg of the delivery flight commenced from Seattle, USA, to Keflavik, Iceland, and concluded with the final leg from Kuwait to Bengaluru, India.

"The latest addition to the fleet aligns with the airline’s growth strategy and long-term commitment to serve the Indian skies," the low-cost airline said in a statement.

Earlier, Akasa Air had had set a global record by becoming the fastest airline to reach a fleet size of 20 aircraft within its first year. The airline has 197 more aircraft scheduled for delivery over the next eight years.

In April, ET reported that the airline is aiming to grow its fleet to 30 aircraft by July, underlining the budget carrier’s expansion plans after facing a setback due to a protracted delay in delivery of these planes.

Akasa’s aircraft deliveries have been delayed due to increased regulatory scrutiny of Boeing’s 737 programme after a mid-air cabin panel blowout on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in the US early last year. Of the 446 jets MAX ordered by Indian carriers, only about 65 have been delivered so far. Boeing now plans to supply two aircraft per month. The delays have led to grounding of some Akasa pilots.

Currently, 18 per cent of the airline's operations come from international flights.