Pilots at Akasa Air abruptly resign: As a result, the airline will only be able to operate 24 flights per day in September.
Following the resignations of 43 pilots, the recently started Akasa Air is in a crisis and may have to shut down, the airline informed the Delhi High Court on Tuesday. The airline has been forced to cancel 24 flights a day in September due to the sudden resignation of the pilots. Later, in a statement, Akasa Air said that they have “contingency management strategies” in place and are ready for “unforeseen circumstances”. They also claimed to have a solid financial background.
The airline’s attorney reportedly informed Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora that because the pilots had not completed their required notice periods of 6 months for first officers and 1 year for captains, respectively, Akasa Air had to cancel dozens of flights every day.
According to reports, the pilots have joined Akasa Air’s competitors. According to the story, which cited sources, a top official submitted a letter to a competing organization outlining the airline’s concerns with the pilots’ departure and labeling it immoral.
Currently, if the resignations persist, Akasa Air, which runs 120 flights each day, anticipates canceling 600–700 flights this month alone. In August, 700 flights were canceled. The airline has asked the court to provide the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) the authority to implement the laws governing the required notice period.
According to reports, the airline wants to punish the pilots and seeks over Rs 22 crore in damages for revenue lost as a result of flight cancellations and groundings.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the airline acknowledged the pilot shortage but said, “We are delighted to note that our conservative approach has helped us to be well established with a strong financial profile to execute on our ambitious ambitions. Our team’s airline started making money on its first day of operation, and as a result, the initial investment from our investors—including Mr. Jhunjhunwala’s investment—remains safe in our bank account. As a young airline, we are pleased that even in the first year of operations, we are increasing the corporate reserves.
The airline announced last week that it would take legal action against the pilots who quit without giving their agreed-upon notice period. Only a tiny group of pilots who neglected their responsibilities and quit without giving the required amount of contractual notice have been the targets of our legal action. This was not only against their contract but also against the law of the land regarding civil aviation. Not only is this against the law, but it is also immoral and self-serving. In August, it forced last-minute cancellations that left hundreds of passengers stranded and caused major annoyance to the traveling public, according to a representative for Akasa Air.
The representative added, “Thank goodness, it is now in the past. We are grateful for our colleagues’ diligent work. This type of behavior is “deeply disrespectful to the hard work of our entire team which shows up to work, everyday with utmost integrity,” the statement continues, adding that as a young start up, we are proud of what every Akasian has helped us build in the first year of our operations.
