The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a show cause notice to Akasa Air for violating norms related to its operations manual, according to sources. An Akasa Air spokesperson confirmed that the DGCA has raised certain findings and issued a notice seeking clarifications from the airline’s flight operations team.
This month alone, the regulator has issued at least two show cause notices to the airline, which began operations in August 2022. Sources told PTI that the violation pertains to the revision cycle of the operations manual, which is required to be updated every six months.
According to submissions made by SNV Aviation Pvt Ltd, which operates Akasa Air, the DGCA found that the manual revision cycle had exceeded the six-month requirement, breaching specific provisions of the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR).
The notice, dated December 16, also highlighted that the airline’s Director of Flight Operations failed to ensure compliance with CAR regulations. The DGCA has asked the airline to explain why action should not be taken for the violation.
In a statement, an Akasa Air spokesperson said, “The DGCA has raised certain findings for which they have issued a notice for clarification from Akasa Air’s Flight Operations team. As always, we are working closely with the DGCA to clarify this issue and enhance our protocols as required by the regulator.”
Earlier, on December 9, the DGCA issued another show cause notice to an Akasa Air aircraft maintenance engineer over poor maintenance standards and certification.
Akasa Air, which operates a fleet of 26 aircraft, has faced additional challenges recently. On December 11, some pilots raised concerns regarding safety and training practices. In a letter to Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu, they called for an independent investigation into the airline’s management practices, training methods, and safety standards.
The letter alleged that Akasa Air’s claims of upholding the highest safety standards were misleading. In response, Akasa Air refuted the allegations on December 12, calling them “baseless and untrue,” and clarified that these concerns did not represent the views of the airline’s pilot group.
The airline also stated that 324 pilots have joined Akasa Air since October 2023 and noted that the pilot group’s attrition rate has remained below 1 percent on an annualised basis.