On Monday, stock market maverick Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed airline Akasa Air revealed a picture of its first aircraft. Taking to Twitter, it attached a picture of the aircraft with the caption, "Can't keep calm! Say hi to our QP-pie!"
In another tweet, it said: "Coming soon to Your Sky."
Check out the tweet here.
The low-cost carrier plans to offer commercial flights starting in the summer of 2022 and use its new fleet of 737s to meet the growing demand across India. Akasa Air got the no-objection certificate from the civil aviation ministry in October to start commercial flights, as per reports.
In 2021, the company ordered 72 Boeing 737 Max aircraft and CFM LEAP-1B engines. CFM delivered its first CFM56 engines in the early 1990s, and by far nearly 600 engines are operated by airlines from the Indian subcontinent.
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The purchase agreement, which included spare engines and long-term services agreement, was valued at nearly $4.5 billion. The 737 MAX is one of the strategic factors that will give Akasa Air a competitive edge in its dynamic home market, the airline said.
Akasa Air's first aircraft is being given final touches at the Boeing Portland facility in the US, which is expected to be delivered to the airline by mid-next month.
In a release, the company also said that it is on track to launch its commercial operations by July.
The airline plans to fly 18 aircraft by the end of March 2023 across domestic routes in the country, focusing on the metro to tier -II/III cities, a release said.
