Akasa Air is eyeing 35% growth in its domestic network in FY24, with a fleet of 26 aircraft, an increase of 30% by the end of the financial year. During the first year of its activity, the airline reached the mark of 20 aircraft.
The airline connects 17 cities and plans to start its international operations around the first half of 2024 (January-June), said Praveen Iyer, co-founder and chief commercial officer, Akasa Air. activity area.
At the start of calendar year 2024, the airline will place a three-digit order, he said, adding that Akasa would begin international operations in the first half of 2024.
The first phase of international expansion will include Doha, Kuwait, Riyadh and Jeddah, he said.
Akasa Air was designated as an international scheduled operator by the Ministry of Civil Aviation earlier this year.
“(We are) gradually adding more and more cities to our network. The airline today connects 17 cities and plans to end FY24 with 35% growth in its network and expand its fleet strength to 26 aircraft,” Iyer said.
The airline began commercial operations in August 2022 and grew to a fleet of 20 aircraft within a year of beginning operations in August 2023. It has carried more than 6.3 million passengers and serves 17 cities in across India namely Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, Delhi, Guwahati, Agartala, Pune, Lucknow, Goa, Hyderabad, Varanasi, Bagdogra, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata and Port Blair.
At the start of 2023, the airline had a market share of 2.8 percent, which increased to 4.2 percent by November.
Orders placed
Akasa Air has placed a “firm order” for 76 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, powered by fuel-efficient CFM LEAP-1B engines.
“We are also poised to announce a significant triple-digit aircraft order in early 2024 and look forward to the year ahead as we expand our footprint and enter the next chapter of our growth story » said Iyer.
Talking about the growth of the Indian aviation industry, he said the industry « will continue to witness robust growth in the years to come. »
