Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed airline Akasa may get its air operator's permit (AOP) as early as April, the Economic Times reported citing a top government official.

Akasa, registered as SNV Aviation, received no-objection certificate on October 11 and applied for the AOP thereafter.

A senior executive at the airline told the Economic Times that Akasa's AOP application is "in process".

The airline, founded by Jet Airways' former chief executive Vinay Dube, earlier placed an order for 72 Boeing 737 Max planes. Aditya Ghosh, IndiGo Airline's former president, is co-founder of Akasa.

Earlier, in an exclusive interview with CNBC-TV18, SpiceJet Chairman & MD Ajay Singh said Akasa Airways was entering the sector at a very challenging time and hopes to avoid a price war with new competition.

According to the report, Jet Airways is unlikely to get its AOP, which is dormant now, within the next six months. Jet got new owners, the Jalan-Kalrock Consortium, in a bankruptcy resolution last year.

Jet Airways' flying licence was made dormant months after it stopped flying in April 2019, its new owners will have to re-apply to get it activated.

First Published:Dec 13, 2021 10:07 AM IST