by Donald Wood
Last updated: 2:25 PM ET, Thu January 18, 2024
India's Akasa Air has shown a great deal of faith in Boeing.
What constitutes a great deal of faith in the beleaguered airline manufacturer? How about an
order for 150 Boeing 737 MAX narrowbody
planes?
It's not the same model of airplane that had a major malfunction
on an Alaska Airlines flight on January 5, but it's in the same family.
Akasa Air is a budget carrier that flies mostly within India. It
should be noted, however, that its order with Boeing does not include the 737 Max 9 version of the plane involved in the
Alaska Airlines incident. That plane has been grounded.
Still, it was a coup for Boeing to get such a large order less
than two weeks after the accident.
“We feel very confident
about the aircraft type that we have, even seeing Boeing's commitment to the
way they've handled this problem," Priya Mehra, Akasa's chief legal,
regulatory and strategic relations officer, said.
The delivery of the new planes will take place over eight
years. India’s burgeoning air travel market, including Akasa Air, is furthering steps into the international market.
Akasa Air is the new kid on the block and less than two years old.
But Akasa plans to fly to
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar in the near future.
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