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Seeking immediate action from the Union Civil Aviation Ministry, the group of pilots, in a letter to Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, also accused the airline of hiring and promoting “unfit” pilots and creating a “demoralising and hostile training environment.”
These pilots, in the letter, a copy of which is in the possession of CNBC-TV18, have also claimed a “meeting” in the Minister’s office with the aviation safety regulator DGCA on December 10 on this “critical” issue.
Akasa, however, in a statement said, “We categorically deny these allegations as baseless and untrue.”
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It may be mentioned here that DGCA in October slapped a fine of ₹30 lakh on Akasa Air for certain lapses in pilot training, following a spot audit in May and a subsequent show-cause notice issued in August.
“As you are aware, Akasa Air is facing widespread dissatisfaction among its employees, particularly pilots. A total of 84 pilots and many others have resigned on a one-day notice, a fact that has been officially communicated to DGCA,” the group of pilots said in the letter.
Alleging that the primary cause of these issues lies in the airline’s management, notably under its Vice President for Operations and his associates, the pilots in the letter said, “We have been subjected to harassment and humiliation during training sessions conducted by DGCA-designated examiners and instructors.”
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It alleged that certain trainers are known for their biased assessments, rude behaviour, and unprofessional conduct, which have created a demoralising and hostile training environment and added that “there is a high failure rate among pilots with as many as 216 pilots reportedly failing in simulator and aircraft evaluation.”
Alleging that these training practices are a “blatant violation” of DGCA norms, which mandates fair, transparent, and unbiased assessment standards, “the group of pilots in the letter stated that “the airline has compromised with safety standards as it has “hired and promoted pilots deemed unfit and unsatisfactory by other airlines. It has elevated individuals with bare minimum or zero STOL experience to critical roles such as captains, Line Training Captains, Type Rating Instructors and Designated Examiner.”
The pilots in the letter have also sought “a safety audit to address concerns about unfit pilots holding critical positions,” besides a comprehensive review of DGCA-designated examiners and instructors to “ensure unbiased and professional conduct.”
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Akasa Air in its statement further said that it has a “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,” it added in the statement.
