Akasa Air take off likely in late May or early June; to further democratise air travel: CEO

Akasa Air take off likely in late May or early June; to further democratise air travel: CEO

Seeking to further democratise air travel with dependable and affordable services, airline Akasa Air is aiming to start flights in late May or early June after getting its first Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in April.

Bullish on the long term growth potential of the country’s civil aviation sector, ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed carrier is looking to have 18 planes in its fleet by the end of March 2023.

Despite COVID clouds continuing to cast a shadow on the airlines, Akasa Air CEO Vinay Dube is more than optimistic as he asserted that "if you look at the long term future of commercial aviation in India, it is as exciting as anywhere in the world”.

Interacting with PTI on a video call, Dube said the Indian aviation pie is growing and the idea of Akasa Air is to look through what we are currently facing.

"This is temporary. This too shall pass".

The civil aviation space, especially the airlines, has been significantly impacted by the pandemic and as the emergence of the Omicron variant has dealt another blow to the recovery path of the sector.

Akasa Air, which will take off as a low-cost carrier, has placed an order for 72 Boeing 737 MAX planes,