Akasa Air, the newest airline in India backed by investor Rakesh JhunJhunwala, has received the nod from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to start operations. The airline today informed that is has been granted the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) by the civil aviation regulator in the country.
“We are pleased to announce the receipt of our Air Operator Certificate (AOC). This is a significant milestone, enabling us to open our flights for sale and leading to the start of commercial operations,” Akasa Air said in a tweet posted today.
We are pleased to announce the receipt of our Air Operator Certificate (AOC). This is a significant milestone, enabling us to open our flights for sale and leading to the start of commercial operations.
— Akasa Air (@AkasaAir) July 7, 2022
In a statement, the airline said that the grant of the AOC is the final step of a comprehensive and rigorous process laid down by the DGCA and marks the satisfactory completion of all regulatory and compliance requirements for the airline’s operational readiness. “Following the government’s initiative to usher in a new era of digitisation, Akasa Air is proud to be the first airline whose end-to-end AOC process was conducted using the government’s progressive eGCA digital platform. The process concluded with the airline having successfully conducted a number of proving flights under the supervision of the country’s aviation regulator,” Akasa Air added.
Commenting on the receipt of the certificate, Aksa Air’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer Vinay Dube said “We are extremely thankful to the Ministry of Civil Aviation 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. This will begin our journey towards building India’s greenest, most dependable, and most affordable airline”.
Akasa Air is planning to launch operations later this month, and the airline has already received delivery of its first Boeing 737 max aircraft last month. The aircraft was used for conducting its first proving flight to secure the DGCA licence. The first proving flights were on the Delhi-Mumbai route.
The Boeing 737 Max was seen in the Akasa Air livery which was launched by the company in December last year. The airline’s tagline is ‘It’s Your Sky’.
The airline will launch operations with two aircraft initially, and will be expanded subsequently as it has ordered 72 Boeing 737 MAX airplanes which will be delivered over the next five years. It has been granted the airline code QP.
Akasa Air had unveiled the uniform for its crew two days ago, which gained accolades for designing comfortable uniforms. The airline said that its sustainable uniforms are made using recycled polyester fabric made from pet bottle plastics salvaged from marine waste. The uniform includes Indian bandhgala inspired jackets, trousers and sneakers in bright orange and black.
#AkasaCrewLook | Inspired by our roots.
— Akasa Air (@AkasaAir) July 4, 2022
Our crew jacket design draws inspiration from the Indian bandhgala and takes it farther into the future. pic.twitter.com/0tlY5PMGjA
“Inspired by our roots. Our crew jacket design draws inspiration from the Indian bandhgala and takes it farther into the future,” Akasa Air had said about its uniforms.
Akasa Air, which will be a low-cost airline, is promising warm and efficient customer service, reliable operations, and affordable fares.
