New Delhi, Jan. 29 -- Budget carrier Akasa Air has resumed pilot hiring after an 18-month pause as it prepares to add more aircraft to its fleet, founder and chief executive Vinay Dube said on Wednesday.

Mumbai-headquartered Akasa paused pilot hiring in June 2024 due to delays in aircraft deliveries from Boeing. With the US plane maker now expected to adhere to its revised delivery timelines, the airline has begun recruiting pilots again.

"We stopped hiring pilots because the delivery time slipped," Dube told reporters at the Wings India 2026 event at Begumpet airport in Hyderabad. "We restarted hiring pilots in November-December and we'll continue hiring."

Akasa currently employs 757 pilots, according to the airline.

Akasa's move is ...