Indian low-cost airline Akasa Air has chosen CFM LEAP-1B engines for its 150 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft ordered recently. The airline currently operates 22 aircraft, all powered by LEAP engines, and has decided to continue with its relationship with the engine maker for its future fleet as well.
Akasa Air has announced that it has signed an agreement to purchase CFM LEAP-1B engines to power its 150 Boeing 737 MAX airplanes ordered in January. The signing of the deal coincided with the state visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to India.
Photo: Akasa Air
This is the second time Akasa has placed a mass order for CFM LEAP-1B engines, having previously ordered 76 of the type to power its 737 MAX fleet. Vinay Dube, Founder and CEO of Akasa Air commented,
“This significant, long-term agreement is testament to the confidence that CFM International has in Akasa Air. Continuing to partner with CFM as our engine maintenance provider not only reaffirms our focus on operational reliability but equally underscores Akasa Air’s relentless pursuit of world class safety.
“With CFM as our long-term engine maintenance provider, we remain confident in our path to becoming one of the top 30 leading airlines in the world, by the turn of this decade.”
CFM engines are popular with Indian airlines, with more than 400 aircraft in the country using them and around 2,500 engines in the backlog. CFM’s parent companies, GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines, have also made significant investments in India to build state-of-the-art facilities dedicated to LEAP production and maintenance.
Photo: Akasa Air
The latest announcement comes just days after the airline placed a significant order of 150 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft at the WINGS India 2024 event in Hyderabad. The deal included the high-capacity MAX variants – 737 MAX 10 and 737 MAX 8–200 jets.
The airline has put its faith in the MAX aircraft and placed its initial order of 72 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft before starting operations. It currently has 22 planes in its fleet and will receive deliveries of a total of 204 aircraft over the course of the next eight years.
While Akasa had some issues last year with some of its pilots leaving and flight cancelations, the airline seems to be back on track with ambitious growth plans. It expects to increase its network by 35% in the financial year 2024, adding more Indian cities and overseas locations.
Photo: Yatrik Sheth | Shutterstock
The plan is also to increase its fleet to 26 planes during this period, but the Federal Aviation Administration’s latest order to limit MAX production could have an effect on the fleet growth plans of the MAX operators in India, such as Akasa and Air India Express.
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