Akasa Air denies leadership exits amid Boeing delivery delays

Akasa Air has rejected claims of a leadership shake-up amid challenges related to aircraft deliveries and pilot utilization. A report from Business Standard stated that three senior executives had exited or were serving notice, including the heads of operations and planning, aircraft acquisition, and catering.

In response, Akasa Air acknowledged the departures but dismissed suggestions of instability, describing such changes as routine in the aviation sector. A spokesperson said all vacated roles had been filled without impacting operations.

The report also suggested that delivery delays from Boeing had affected Akasa’s ability to deploy its pilots effectively. ch-aviation data shows the airline has 198 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft on order, split evenly between 737-10s and 737-8-200s.

The airline noted progress in addressing the idle pilot issue, reporting that 76% of its cockpit crew were now logging flying hours, up from 60% in December 2024. Akasa had previously grounded some pilots due to a slower-than-expected fleet expansion. It planned for 42 aircraft by the end of March 2025 but closed the financial year with just 26.

In March, CEO Vinay Dube reportedly expressed frustration at Boeing’s delays, calling them a barrier to the airline’s growth. By April, Akasa had announced it was back on track to reach a 30-aircraft fleet, and currently operates 28 jets—23 Boeing 737-8s and five 737-8-200s.

Akasa Air launched in August 2022 and now serves 27 destinations across five countries. In April 2025, India’s competition authority approved a USD125 million investment into the airline from a consortium of investors.

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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com