After IndiGo & Air India, Akasa Air Orders 4 Boeing Aircrafts Taking Total To 76 Aircrafts

Latest in a string of orders by the country's carriers, India's newest budget carrier Akasa Air has placed an order for four Boeing 737-8 jets, the airline announced on Wednesday. With this, the airline has now ordered a total of 76 aircraft.

In order to meet the increased domestic demand for air travel and gain a larger share of the global market, Indian airlines have embarked on a shopping spree in an effort to rule the skies.

Today, June 2, 2023, Akasa Air tweeted, "We are excited to add four more Boeing 737-8 to support our international expansion, taking our initial order of 72 aircraft to 76 to be delivered in the next four years." (1/2)

It added, "We are also on track to finalize another significant three-digit aircraft order and will be ready to announce it before the end of the calendar year", Vinay Dube, our Founder and CEO. (2/2)"

IndGo Orders

Earlier, two big airlines, IndiGo Air and Air India, placed orders for roughly 1,000 jets in total, and are relying on an expanding economy and a grwing middle class.

On June 19, 2023, the Indian aviation giant IndiGo created a stir with their huge order of 500 Airbus of A320 family.

In a tweet, the airline said, "Today we have set another truly momentous and very exciting step in the journey of IndiGo as we placed a firm order for 500 Airbus of the A320 Family. This is the largest-ever single aircraft purchase by any airline with @Airbus. #goIndiGo"

The 500 Airbus order is the largest aircraft order ever for any airline in history. This agreement surpasses the airline's existing agreement with Airbus for roughly 480 narrowbodies. Particularly for short- and medium-haul flights, IndiGo has a strong preference for narrowbody aircraft.

Air India Orders

The very next day on June 20, 2023, the Tata-owned Airline, Air India, ordered a mix of 470 Airbus and Boeing jets. Among the 470, Air India expects 250 jets from Airbus, and 220 aircraft from Boeing.

In a Tweet Air India said, "#FlyAI: IT IS FIRM AND FINAL! Happy to share that we have signed purchase agreements with @Airbus and @BoeingAirplanes at Paris Air Show today to add 470 new aircraft to enhance our fleet strength! Air India is committed to playing its part in building New India."

Why is it important?

According to the Centre for Aviation (CAPA), the number of Indian domestic passengers is predicted to increase from 144 million in 2019 to 350 million by 2030. Similarly, international air travellers are predicted to increase from 64 million in 2019 to 160 million in 2030.

Furthermore, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's Traffic Report for March 2023, the passengers carried by domestic airlines during January - March 2023 were 375.04 lakhs as against 247.23 lakhs during the Jan - March 2022 period, thereby registering an annual growth of 51.70% and monthly growth of 21.41%.