Ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-promoted Akasa Air on July 7 said it has received its air operator certificate (AOC) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Ministry of Civil Aviation.

"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," Akasa Air said in a statement.

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.

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The process concluded with the airline having successfully conducted a number of proving flights under the supervision of the country’s aviation regulator, it added.

Commenting on the significant milestone, Vinay Dube, Founder, and Chief Executive Officer of Akasa Air 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," he said.

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"We also want to take this moment to thank and acknowledge the collective contributions of our employees and partners whose commitment, perseverance, optimism, meticulous planning and exemplary teamwork have helped achieve this milestone.," he added.

The airline, which is backed by Rakesh Jhunjhunwala and aviation veterans Vinay Dube and Aditya Ghosh, received the no-objection certificate (NOC) from the ministry of civil aviation in August 2021 to launch commercial flight operations.

With the Directorate General of Civil Aviation giving the green light to Boeing 737 Max aircraft in late August last year, Akasa Air signed a deal with Boeing on November 26, 2021, to purchase 72 Max planes.

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Akasa Air, whose airline code is QP, received its first 737 MAX on June 21, 2022. Later this month, the airline will commence commercial operations with two aircraft, subsequently adding to its fleet, every month.

By the end of the fiscal year 2022-23, the airline will have inducted 18 aircraft and thereafter 12-14 aircraft every 12 months, which will make up its order of 72 delivered over five years.

(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)

First Published:Jul 7, 2022 6:10 PM IST