India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation has suspended two top officials at Akasa Air (QP, Mumbai International) after an audit uncovered pilot training deficiencies.
On December 27, 2024, the DGCA suspended Akasa's director of operations and director of training for six months. The suspensions follow unsatisfactory responses to show-cause notices issued on October 15 and 30, respectively. Specifically, the DGCA says Akasa conducted RNP training (approaches) using simulators not certified for such training.
Akasa did not reply to a request for comment from ch-aviation on the matter.
The regulator's move comes as a group of Akasa pilots continues to raise concerns over the carrier's pilot training regime. They have asked the DGCA to conduct a more thorough audit and said they intend to form a pilots' union.
"Repeated lapses/violations have been found pertaining to training," a DGCA official told the Deccan Herald, adding that the two executives had "failed to discharge duties to meet applicable legal requirements and to maintain safe operations."
"Akasa Air is in receipt of an order from the DGCA dated 27th December 2024," reads the airline's statement. "We will continue to work with the DGCA and comply accordingly. Safety is of utmost importance, and we continuously strive to pursue the highest standards of safety."
Akasa commenced scheduled passenger services in August 2022. It currently operates twenty-three B737-8s and three B737-8-200s to 28 airports across India, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, and has 200 B737 MAX aircraft on order. Akasa says it employs around 870 pilots. Since launching, the DGCA has issued multiple show-cause notices to the airline.
Meanwhile, the DGCA has also fined Akasa INR1 million rupees (USD11,660) for not compensating seven passengers flying from Bengaluru International to Pune on September 6 after the airline cancelled a flight due to damage to the aircraft, and the initial replacement flight could not carry them. Although Akasa arranged alternative flights, the airline did not compensate the passengers, which the DGCA found breached the Civil Aviation Requirements, s.3, Series M, Part IV. The DGCA previously fined Akasa for breaches of Civil Aviation Requirements.
