Jhunjhunwala-backed Akasa Air orders 72 Boeing 737 Max aircraft

Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed new airline Akasa Air has ordered 72 ‘737 Max’ aircraft from US-based aerospace company Boeing to launch service in India.

“Akasa Air’s order includes two variants from the 737 Max family, including the 737-8 and the high-capacity 737-8-200,” the joint statement by Akasa Air and Boeing mentioned.

The order, valued at “nearly $9 billion at list prices”, was signed at Dubai Air Show 2021 on Tuesday.

The Indian government had last month given a no-objection certificate for the operation of Akasa Air in India.

Akasa Air is backed by ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, former IndiGo president Aditya Ghosh and former Jet Airways CEO Vinay Dube.