Akasa Air to start commercial operations in July; focus on tier-2 connectivity

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Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed Akasa Air is set to begin its commercial operations in July as the airline said it has received all regulatory approvals barring the air operator permit, CNBC-TV18 reported on May 6.

Akasa Air has placed orders for 72 Boeing 737 Max planes and also expects to receive the first aircraft delivery by early June. The airline has 150 pilots and 120 flight attendants on board.

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“We expect our first aircraft to be delivered in mid-June and expect commercial operations in late July,'' said Vinay Dube, Founder, MD, and CEO of Akasa Air said in an exclusive interview with CNBC TV-18.

As for the air operator's permit, Dube claimed, “We need to get the delivery of our first aircraft before we get the air operator's permit. It is a very rigorous process and we anticipate getting that in late June and will then, on the basis of that, start operations in late July."

Talking about the routes, the CEO said that the airline will start from metro cities and then shift focus to tier-2 cities.

''We are in the process of discussing with the individual airports as well as the Airports Authority of India, trying to finalise which airports have space for us as far as slots parking bays and other infrastructure that is required for us to launch is concerned. We hope to finalise these in the very near future,'' Dube told CNBC-TV18.