Budget carrier Akasa Air has announced that it has placed an order for four Boeing 737-8 jets at the ongoing Paris Air Show. The order is in addition to its existing order of 72 aircraft, which will be delivered in the next four years. The airline’s order now includes 23 737-8s and 53 high-capacity 737-8-200 aircraft.
The carrier has also said that it will be announcing a “three-digit” aircraft order by the end of 2023. Talking about its plans to commence international operations by the year’s end, Akasa Air said the new order will “fortify” its plans for expansion.
Akasa Air and Boeing have not revealed the value of the order. However, as per list price assessments, the order would be worth around $500 million.
The new order comes as IndiGo announced its record-breaking mega order of 500 Airbus A320 Family aircraft at the Paris Air Show, while Air India signed purchase agreements of its $70-billion aircraft order from Airbus and Boeing.
Akasa launched its operations in August 2022 and currently has a fleet of 19 aircraft. It claims to have crossed the milestone of operating over 900 weekly flights with a published network of 36 unique routes connecting 16 cities.
Akasa Air Founder and CEO Vinay Dube said the airline is “excited” about the new order which pushes its international expansion. The carrier says its new fleets are equipped with latest technology engines which reduces fuel use and CO2 emissions by an additional 14%. They also sport the quiet engine technology which helps cut the operational noise footprint of the airplane by up to 40%.