Second in a week: DGCA issues show cause to Akasa, this time for operations manual violations

NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday issued a show cause notice to Akasa for alleged lapses in its operations manual and for the airline’s director (flight operations) “failing to ensure compliance of civil aviation requirements (CAR or DGCA rules.” This notice comes within a week of the regulator issuing a show cause to Akasa after finding certain maintenance lapse during a spot check of one of its aircraft and a section of the airline’s pilots requesting Union aviation minister Rammohan Naidu to conduct an independent investigation into Akasa’s management practices, training method and safety standards.
Sources say the latest notice is for: “…revision cycle of operations manual exceeding six months cycle as accepted in approved (manual)” and non-compliance of CARs. On its part, the airline said in a statement: “Over the last few months, the DGCA has conducted a number of routine audits on Akasa Air flight operations department. On one of these audits, DGCA raised certain findings for which they have issued a notice for clarification. As always, we are working closely with the DGCA to clarify this issue and enhance our protocols as required by the regulator. Safety is of utmost importance, and we continuously strive to pursue the highest standards of safety.”
However, a section of Akasa pilots points to “issues” in the airline’s management practices and training. “Failure to revise operations manual within the required six-month cycle is a breach of safety standards. The latest notice raises questions, which we have been raising, whether mandatory protocols are being followed. Only recently some pilots had expressed concerns about the airline’s flight operations, allegedly biased trainer behaviour, and training and safety standards, in a letter to the minister,” said sources, adding, “The DGCA’s warnings, show-cause notices and penalties have not led to meaningful and required changes. This is damaging the airline’s reputation.”
On December 9, the DGCA had issued a show cause notice to an Akasa aircraft maintenance engineer for poor (maintenance) standards and certification.
In their letter to minister Naidu, the section of pilots had alleged the airline’s claims of maintaining highest safety standards are misleading. Akasa had countered this by saying: “…commitment to employee centricity is at the heart of everything we do. Our monthly employee survey reveals that pilots, amongst all employee groups have consistently reported the highest levels of job satisfaction…. This dedication is further evidenced by the minimal number of pilots seeking opportunities outside of Akasa Air throughout 2024. For context, 324 pilots have joined Akasa since October 2023. During this same period, we have recorded an annualised attrition of less than 1% for this employee group. We are focused on building a brand that resonates with both our customers and our employees, ensuring that our team feels proud to be part of our journey.”