Page 7 - ITLN January - February 2024 Issue for the Website
P. 7

he Indian low-cost carrier   domestic expansion, the efficiency   serious about having more cargo
                Akasa Air on January 18,   and economics of these new airplanes   planes to be agile in the freight
                2024 announced a firm order   position Akasa to launch international   market. Even though Indian airlines
        Tof an additional 150 737 MAX      routes in the coming months.”     have deep roots in domestic cargo
        aircraft with Boeing. In 2021, Akasa   India is not new to big aircraft   movements, it is important to note
        Air had placed its initial order of 72   orders. In January 2023, Air India   that international movements are
        Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, which was   placed the order of 470 aircraft   heavily dominated by foreign airlines,
        followed up with an order of 4 737   across Boeing and Airbus and in June   particularly middle east carriers.
        MAX 8 aircraft in June 2023. The   2023 IndiGo placed a firm order for   India, with the new players and new
        new deal, takes the airline’s order   500 A320 family aircraft.      orders, is displaying its intention to
        book to a total of 226 aircraft. Akasa   The Indian airlines are not only   capture that market as well.
        Air currently operates a fleet of 22   looking at the revenue potential of   In fact, the Indian government
        aircraft and will receive deliveries of   passengers that can travel on these    has set an ambitious target of 10
        a total of 204 aircraft over the course   newly ordered aircraft but also the   million tonnes for Indian air cargo to
        of eight years.                    cargo that they can move.  With a   achieve by 2031 from the current 3
           About the plans, Vinay Dube,    total of 15 freighters and five airlines   million tonnes.
        Akasa Air founder and CEO, said,   owning them and more Indian          Even the global air cargo players,
        “In addition to supporting our rapid   carriers joining the trend, they are   which includes the aircraft OEMs,
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        www.itln.in                                                                         January - February 2024
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