Discontent among Akasa Air pilots: Letter to Aviation Minister highlights alleged malpractices

Pilot discontent has been brewing at Akasa Air for quite some time now, and finally a group of Akasa Air pilots has voiced their discontent against the airline management in a detailed email addressed to the Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu, the Civil Aviation Secretary, and the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The letter is a call for a thorough investigation into the airline’s practices.The letter addresses serious concerns about the airline’s operational practices, alleging issues with its hiring process, rostering, and safety standards. The pilots have claimed that some operating crew members do not report to work on time, leading to disruptions in flight operations.

This in turn leads to fluctuations in the airline's performance; however, the pilots have claimed that the airline follows malpractices in documenting the on-time performance. The pilots have further questioned the airline’s recruitment practices, suggesting that hiring decisions are being made arbitrarily by a select few within the company. They also raised alarms over what they describe as an unstable roster system, which could potentially affect flight scheduling and crew management.

Prior to this, Akasa Air faced the pilot’s ire regarding training and safety lapses in the airline. But the airline had dismissed this as a baseless claim. Akasa Air has also been on the DGCA's radar for some time now; just last month, the regulatory body took action against the airline’s Director of Operations and Director of Training, suspending them for six months over lapses in the training of pilots.

Akasa Air was fined Rs 30 lakh by the DGCA in October 2024 for failing to ensure adequate training for its crew members.