DGCA grants flying licence to Akasa Air

NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Thursday granted Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed Akasa Air the air operator certificate (AOC). The airline is scheduled to begin its commercial operations by the end of this month.

Vinay Dube, founder-chief executive officer of Akasa Air said, "We are thankful to the Civil Aviation Ministry and the DGCA for their constructive guidance, active support and the highest levels of efficiency throughout the AOC process. We now look forward to opening our flights for sale, leading to the start of commercial operations by late July."

The airline took delivery of its first Boeing 737 Max aircraft on June 21 and has since successfully conducted several proving flights under the supervision of the DGCA to receive the AOC, NIE reported.

According to the airline, it will start operations with two aircraft and then add aircraft to its fleet every month. By the end of the financial year 2022-23, the airline will have 18 aircraft and will add 12-14 aircraft every 12 months thereafter. This will result in an order of 72 aircraft to be delivered within 5 years.