 "Akasa Air pilots flag training and safety practices, airline denies charges")
A group of Akasa Air pilots have raised concerns about safety and training standards at the airline, seeking an independent investigation by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The airline, however, termed the allegations as untrue.
In a letter dated December 11, the section of Akasa Air pilots wrote to Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu and highlighted alleged unfair practices, harassment and safety concerns.
The pilots flagged high failure rate among the pilots, claiming 216 pilots have failed simulator and aircraft evaluations. They also claimed that 84 pilots have resigned on one-day notice.
What did Akasa Air say?
In a statement, Akasa Air denied the allegations made by the pilots. "We categorically deny these allegations as baseless and untrue. Nor do they represent the views of Akasa pilots," an airline spokesperson said in a statement on Saturday, as reported by news agency PTI.
The low-cost carrier also said that 324 pilots have joined the airline since October 2023. During this period, the airline said it recorded an annualised attrition of less than 1 per cent for this employee group.
Akasa Air also stated that its monthly employee survey reveals that pilots, among all employee groups, have consistently reported the "highest levels of job satisfaction, highlighting the effectiveness of our supportive culture".
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"This dedication is further evidenced by the minimal number of pilots seeking opportunities outside of Akasa Air throughout 2024," it added.
DGCA denies Akasa Air's request
On 10 December, Business Standard reported that the DGCA had denied Akasa Air's request to exempt it from deploying CAT-III-trained pilots on flights to and from two major fog-affected airports for specific periods due to shortage of such pilots.
The aviation regulator directed Akasa Air to immediately comply with its mandate to deploy only CAT-III-trained pilots at all six major fog-affected airports, even as it reviewed the airline's requests for certain exemptions. Notably, pilots trained on CAT-III instrument landing systems can land in low-visibility conditions at airports equipped with these systems. In October this year, aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on Akasa Air for some lapses in the training of crew.
Currently, Akasa Air has a fleet of 26 planes and flies to 27 destinations, including five overseas cities.