Akasa Air nears a deal for 150 Boeing Jets

Mumbai: Budget carrier Akasa Air is set to close an order for around 150 Boeing 737 MAX narrowbody planes, sources said, its latest bid to tap the travel boom in the world's fastest-growing aviation market.

Contract negotiations are ongoing and a deal is expected to be announced at Wings India, the country's largest civil aviation event scheduled for Jan 18-21, said the two sources familiar with the ongoing talks.

The company's founder and Chief Executive Officer, Vinay Dube said it plans to go international by the year-end and intends to set up a learning academy in Bengaluru.

He also said Akasa has already ordered a fleet of 72 aircraft of which 18 have been delivered.

"By the end of the year we will place a large order for aircraft. I'm not going to disclose the number but the order will be in three digits and it will be significant," Dube said in a press conference here.

In the next one year, Akasa is going to hire 300 pilots, Dube said, adding that the company is also going to open a learning centre in Bengaluru.

According to him, Akasa Air will need at least 3,500 pilots in the next one decade.

The company completed six months of its operations to become the fastest growing airlines in the country, it said in a statement.

With 36 daily flights from Bengaluru, Akasa Air is the third largest domestic carrier in the city, it noted.
-B