First photos of Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed Akasa Air are out

Billionaire investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed Akasa Air shared the photos of its new aircraft on Monday. The airline is scheduled to launch operations by July.

The photographs, shared on the Twitter profile of the airline, showed the airline's first Boeing 737 Max aircraft at the production facility in Portland, US. The aircraft can be seen sporting Akasa Air livery.

The photographs have laid to rest speculations that the airline's launch may be delayed due to the non-availability of aircraft. Some recent reports had suggested that the airline could defer the launch of its services despite having received the no-objection certificate from the Union Civil Aviation Ministry in October last year.

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With the first aircraft ready to fly home from the Boeing factory, Akasa Air will now have to secure the final regulatory approval to begin services by conducting a set of proving flights.

In a statement, the airline noted that it was on track to receive its first aircraft in India by mid-June and launch commercial operations in India by July 2022. 

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By the end of March 2023, Akasa Air intends to operate 18 aircraft across domestic routes in the country. The airline will primarily focus on the metro to tier-2 and tier-3 cities. 

To note, in 2021, Akasa Air had placed an order for 72 Boeing 737 MAX jets, valued at nearly $9 billion at list prices. The Boeing 737 Max aircraft of Akasa Air -- with the carrier code of "QP" -- will be powered by the new fuel-efficient CFM LEAP B engine. 

Akasa Air is expecting to gain a competitive edge through the Boeing 737 Max by providing the lowest seat-mile costs for a single-aisle aeroplane alongside enhanced passenger experience and high dispatch reliability.