Riding on Rakesh Jhunjhunwala’s 737 Max order, Boeing set to dent Airbus SE’s India dominance

Boeing Co. may win a crucial deal as early as this weekend for some 70 to 80 737 Max jets from an Indian startup airline, according to people familiar with the matter, denting Airbus SE’s dominance in what was until recently the world’s fastest-growing aviation market.

Akasa, a Mumbai-based carrier backed by billionaire investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, was earlier reported by Bloomberg News to be in talks with Boeing about the planes. A deal could be announced during the Dubai Airshow, which kicks off Nov. 14, some of the people said.

An agreement of that size to take the most popular variant of the 737 Max family — which most regulators have now approved to fly again following two deadly crashes –