Akasa Air’s All-Women Crew Brings Home New Boeing 737 MAX aircraft

Two women pilots, Captain Bhavna Gandhi and Captain Sanaya Chothia, have received delivery of Akasa Air’s 25th aircraft in Seattle. The first leg of the women-led delivery flight commenced from Seattle, USA, to Keflavik, Iceland, and concluded with the final leg from Larnaca, Cyprus, to Hyderabad, India. Bearing the registration number VT-YBB, the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft arrived at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad.

Akasa’s Growth

Akasa Air has registered growth since its inception in August 2022. In 2021, Akasa Air placed its initial order of 72 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, which was followed by an order of four Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in June 2023. In January 2024, the airline placed another order of 150 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, becoming the first Indian airline to reach an order book of 226 aircraft within 17 months of commencing operations. The airline has now taken delivery of 25 aircraft and is on track to receive deliveries of another 201 aircraft over the next eight years.

The delivery flight is a testament to Akasa’s commitment towards diversity in the flight deck and continuing to be a forerunner in the aviation industry in this respect. Alongside, the 737 MAX family provides greater range and fuel efficiency, reducing fuel use and carbon emissions by 20% compared to those it replaces, reinforcing the airline’s commitment to sustainability. In addition, the 737 MAX is a quieter airplane with a 40% smaller noise footprint than replacement airplanes.

Since its launch in August 2022, Akasa Air has served over 11 million passengers and connects with 27 cities, namely Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, Delhi, Guwahati, Agartala, Pune, Lucknow, Goa, Hyderabad, Varanasi, Bagdogra, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Port Blair, Ayodhya, Gwalior, Srinagar, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Doha, Jeddah, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait.