Ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed Akasa Air, which is planning to start its commercial flight operations in July, on Monday revealed its first aircraft on social media. This comes less than a week after the airline announced that its airline code will be ‘QP’.
On Monday, the official twitter handle of Akasa Air took to the microblogging platform and posted a few pictures of its first aircraft. “Can’t keep calm! Say hi to our QP-pie!,” the airline said.
Before sharing the picture of the aircraft, the carrier conducted a poll on Twitter earlier in the day. It asked – A picture is worth a thousand words. Agree?
The Mumbai-based airline, registered as SNV Aviation, got the mandatory no-objection certificate from the civil aviation ministry in October last year. Akasa Air will get its first aircraft delivered next month. Once it is inducted in the fleet, the carrier will have to conduct a set of successful proving flights.
“We expect our first aircraft delivery by mid-June 2022. The first aircraft will help us with our operating permit and the proving flights will be held as per regulatory requirements prior to the AOP (Air Operator Permit) receipt,” Akasa Air Founder, Managing Director Vinay Dube said in a statement to PTI.
He also said the airline intends to start commercial operations in July 2022 and is on course for later aircraft inductions to fly 18 aircraft by the end of March 2023.
A proving flight, which may originate from one airport and fly to another airport, is part of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s process for the induction of a new aircraft type in an airline’s fleet. It consists of five sectors (legs) with a total block time of 10 hours or more.
Moreover, the airline inked a deal with Boeing on November 26, 2021 to purchase 72 Max planes.
