A section of flying Akasa Air pilots have approached the Ministry of Civil Aviation alleging mismanagement, favoritism, harassment and compromise of safety standards in the airline’s pilot training and evaluation process. Reacting to the incident, Akasa Air dismissed the allegations and called them “baseless and untrue”.
The pilots wrote to Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on December 11, listing their grievances and concerns, and requesting an immediate independent inquiry into the carrier’s management practices, training methods, and safety standards, it is learnt. A copy of the letter was also marked to the Directorate General of Aviation Safety Regulators (DGCA) of Civil Aviation, which fined Akasa Air in October for some lapses in crew training.
Akash Air, which has been in operation for almost two years, has been facing pilot problems before. In September last year, the carrier took some pilots to court for breach of contract, alleging that they left the airline without a regulated six-month notice period. At the same time, Akash Air was forced to cancel many of its flights due to these resignations.
The airline claims high job satisfaction levels and low attrition among its pilots, although the disgruntled pilots claimed in their letter to Naidu that 84 Akasa Air pilots resigned with a day’s notice.
“We categorically reject these allegations as baseless and untrue. Nor do they represent the views of Akasa pilots. At Akasa Air, our commitment to employee centricity is at the heart of everything we do. Our monthly employee survey reveals that pilots consistently report the highest levels of job satisfaction among all employee groups, highlighting the effectiveness of our collaborative culture. This dedication is further evidenced by the minimal number of pilots seeking opportunities outside of Akasa Air in 2024,” said an Akasa Air spokesperson.
“For reference, 324 pilots have joined Akasa since October 2023. During this period, we have recorded an annual attrition of less than 1 percent for this employee group,” the airline spokesperson added.
Disgruntled pilots have alleged that some senior airline officials, mainly examiners and instructors, harassed and insulted them during training sessions, were biased in evaluations and unprofessional in their behaviour. These pilots are also accused of abnormally high failure rates in pilot simulator and aircraft evaluation, biased evaluation, violation of DGCA norms, and recruitment and promotion of pilots deemed unfit and disaffected by other airlines.
Apart from seeking an independent investigation into Akasa Air’s management practices, training methods, and safety standards, the disgruntled pilots are also known to have demanded a comprehensive review of the airline’s DGCA-appointed examiners and trainers, and a safety audit to address their concerns. Allegedly unqualified pilots hold key positions.
Why should you buy our membership?
You want to be the smartest in the room.
You want access to our award-winning journalism.
You don’t want to be confused and misinformed.
Choose your subscription package