The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has revoked the Line Training Captain (LTC) approval of an Akasa Air pilot due to serious lapses in the landing of a passenger aircraft in March 2024, sources confirmed on Monday. The DGCA also withdrew the pilot’s Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) privileges until further notice.
This latest action follows a thorough audit conducted by the aviation watchdog in October 2024, which identified the pilot’s involvement in making a “hard landing” — an abnormal and unsafe contact between the aircraft and the runway. The incident had previously been closed with a counseling session for the pilot, but no corrective training was provided at that time.
The DGCA issued show-cause notices to both the airline and the pilot in November 2024. However, the responses were deemed unsatisfactory, prompting the regulatory body to take more severe action. As a result, the pilot’s LTC approval and STOL privileges were revoked immediately. The pilot is now required to complete a minimum two-hour corrective simulator session, focusing on areas such as stabilisation criteria, flare and touchdown visual cues, missed approaches, and the hazards of cancelling go-arounds.
There has been no immediate response from Akasa Air regarding the DGCA’s actions.
This move is part of a broader pattern of regulatory scrutiny surrounding Akasa Air. Last month, the DGCA suspended the airline’s Director of Operations and Director of Training for six months, citing alleged lapses in pilot training. The suspension followed concerns raised by some pilots about potential training and safety issues at the airline. Akasa Air, however, rejected these claims, calling them baseless.
In addition, the DGCA imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on Akasa Air in October 2024, for violations related to crew training lapses. These consecutive regulatory actions signal an intensifying focus on the airline’s operational standards and safety protocols.