Akasa Air's Boeing 737 Max 8 plane spotted airborne with new livery, top things to know

Backed by Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, Akasa Air had placed a massive order for 72 Boeing 737 Max aircrafts at the Dubai Air Show ahead of its scheduled commercial operations in Summer 2022.

Photo: Preston Fiedler

Ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala backed Akasa Air is gearing up for their commercial operations to start in India soon. India's newest airline is waiting to take delivery of the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, following which they can apply for the necessary certifications. While Akasa Air did share the first glimpse of its aircraft with the new livery parked at the Boeing's facility in the United States, new photographs have now emerged showing airborne Akasa Air plane with the company's 'rising A' symbol and orange and purple livery, a new for the Indian market. 

As per a report, the first aircraft bearing line number 7617, was initially destined for T’Way Air, a South Korean low-cost carrier. However, the company didn't take the aircraft and Boeing alloted the unit to the Akasa Air, who placed an order of 72 Boeing 737 Max 8, the largest order for the controversial Max series of aircrafts. According to data from Ch-Aviation, the airframe is almost three years old now.

Caption this!
We’ll start – Our baby’s day out! ☺️#ItsYourSky#AvGeek pic.twitter.com/xqRQSxKcXv

— Akasa Air (@AkasaAir) June 2, 2022

Here's all you need to know about the Akasa Air

India's newest budget airline backed by ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala and aviation veterans Vinay Dube and Aditya Ghosh has unveiled its tagline 'It's Your Sky' and aircraft livery with 'Rising A' symbol in orange and purple colour. The airline said the symbol 'rising A' was inspired by elements from the sky - "It symbolises the warmth of the rising sun, the effortless flight of a bird and the dependability of an aircraft wing," it said.

Akasa Air Commencement Date

SNV Aviation under which Akasa will fly says that the airline brand is targeting Summer 2022 to start the operations in India. Akasa Air has already received the No Objection Certificate to operate flights in India. The company initially targeted June 2022 for operations to start, however there's a delay and might start start ops in July 2022. 

“We are pleased to have Griffin as our partners in growth as we embark on our aviation journey. The high degree of confidence and endorsement from the Griffin team is a testimony to Akasa Air’s robust and sustainable future.” - Vinay Dube, CEO. https://t.co/qFE6XcCrMv

— Akasa Air (@AkasaAir) June 9, 2022

Akasa Air Fleet

In an earlier released statement, the airline mentioned that the company plans to operate approximately 70 planes in the next four years. While the Airbus' Chief Commercial Officer Christian Scherer had previously stated that Airbus is in conversation with Akasa for an aircraft procurement deal, the Indian brand, at the Dubai Air Show, sealed a deal with Boeing to procure 72 737 Max aircrafts.

Akasa Air recently signed a contract with Griffin Global Asset Management, an Irish leasing company, for the sale and leaseback of five Boeing 737-8 aircraft. The airline sells its jets to a leasing business and then leases them back under the sale and leaseback arrangement. This frees up the funds that the airline used to purchase the plane. 

Akasa Air Management

Akasa Air is backed by ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, who is the co-founder of the newest airline and owns 40% of the company, along with Aditya Ghosh, former President of Indigo who will have a 10 per cent stake in the Akasa Air. Ex-Jet Airways CEO Vinay Dube will be the CEO of Akasa Air with a 15 per cent stake. The brand is also looking to hire other industry leaders at the top spot before beginning of the operations. 

Akasa Air Routes

Akasa Air plans to offer flights across India with an "endeavour to be the nation's most dependable, affordable and greenest airline". While no announcement has been made in this regards, it is expected the Akasa will serve the major domestic routes with the ultra low cost airline to attract the potential flyers.

Akasa Air Livery

Akasa Air has chosen Sunrise Orange and Passionate Purple colour scheme for its fleet, which is surely eye-catching. The tagline says “It’s your sky,” and there's a 'rising A' symbol on the tail.