Page 17 - AAA January / February 2024 Digital Magazine | GBP
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Air India will also completely and Managing Director, Airbus becoming one of the top 30
refurbish the interiors of its India and South Asia. Airbus will leading airlines in the world, by
older aircraft - 27 B787-8 and partner with GMR Aero Technic the turn of this decade. Akasa’s
13 B777s), with work slated to to offer Aircraft Maintenance remarkable growth testifies the
begin later this year as part of Engineering training courses at sheer promise that India holds
a $400 million initiative. As part the latter’s facility in Hyderabad as an aviation market, and we
of the cabin refurbishment, all are thrilled to be a part of this
43 jetliners will be fitted with New Entrant journey,” Dube, adds.
brand-new seats in every cabin,
new IFE systems, and inflight A new entrant in India’s civil Akasa Air’s initial order of 72
Wi-Fi internet connectivity. While aviation market is Akasa Air, Boeing 737 MAX jetliners was
Air India will retain the First which has now been in operation made in 2021, followed by an
Class cabins on these aircraft, for over a year and garnered a order for four additional aircraft
it will also introduce Premium respectable market share of just in June 2023. This made for
Economy cabins. Air India has over 4% in its first year of opera- total orders for 76 LEAP-1B-
stated that 33% of its widebody tions. The carrier is emerging as powered 737-8 and 737-8-200
fleet will be upgraded by March a viable contender in India’s civil jetliners (23 737-8s and 53
2024 and its entire long-haul aviation market, competing with 737-8-200s). The airline has
fleet will be equipped with new other Low Cost Carrier’s (LCC) observed 15-20% better fuel
aircraft over the next two-and-a- such as Air India Express and efficiency on its LEAP-powered
half years. SpiceJet, which have a market jetliners. Akasa Air’s fleet size
share of 7.1% and 5.5% respec- is slated to grow to 28 by March
tively. Market leader IndiGo
Training Day however, is out of reach with a 2024 and grow to 52 by 2027.
Airbus and Air India announced dominating 62% share of the The new order for 150 aircraft,
takes the airlines orderbook to
in January, that they had come Indian domestic market. 226 airplanes. The airline pres-
together in a 50:50 joint venture ently operates 22 aircraft and
to launch a world-class pilot “We remain confident the remaining 204 aircraft on its
training centre in Gurugram, in our path to becom- orderbook are slated for deliv-
Haryana. Current plans call for ery by 2032. The latest order
training of 5,000 new pilots over ing one of the top 30 comprises 737 MAX 10 and 737
10 years at the new Tata Airbus leading airlines in the MAX 8-200 jets.
Training Centre, which will offer world, by the turn
A320 and A350 flight training of this decade,” said
with 10 Full Flight Simulators Akasa Air also became the
(FFS). Training activities at the Vinay Dube, Akasa first Asian carrier to induct the
Tata Airbus Training Centre are Air’s Founder and CEO. high-capacity variant of the 737
due to commence early next MAX when it took delivery of its
20th aircraft, a 737-8-200 (regis-
year, with the initial installation of Akasa Air has also joined Air tration VT YAV), in August 2023.
four A320 FFS.
India and IndiGo in making large The larger 737-8-200 will be
fleet orders. The carrier which used to drive Akasa Air’s inter-
“As the fastest expanding avi- completed one year of opera- national operations, since it has
ation market in the world, India tions in August 2023, announced also met Indian airline regula-
will need 41,000 pilots and a firm order of 150 Boeing 737 tions, in which domestic carriers
47,000 technicians in the next MAX single-aisle jetliners at must have at least 20 aircraft in
20 years to support this growth. the Wings India 2024 airshow. their fleet to become eligible for
The pilot training centre with Air Akasa Air is the only Indian car- international operations. The car-
India and the maintenance train- rier to have grown its order book rier is planning on using its new
ing partnership with GMR are a to more than 200 aircraft within aircraft to grow operations in
testament to Airbus’ commitment 17 months of commencing oper- India as also beginning flights on
to developing human capital,’ ations. Large and historic aircraft international routes to the Middle
said Rémi Maillard, President order puts Akasa on a path of East and Southeast Asia.•
ASIAN AIRLINES & AEROSPACE JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2024 | 17
