Aviation regulator fines Akasa Air ₹10 lakh for denying boarding to passengers

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has slapped a ₹10 lakh fine on Akasa Air for denying boarding to seven passengers on September 6, 2024, due to unserviceable seats. The passengers had booked a flight from Bangalore to Pune on Akasa flight QP 1437, scheduled for 8.50 pm. However, the aircraft was grounded due to foreign object damage, and a replacement plane with nine non-operational seats was provided. As a result, seven passengers were denied boarding.

While Akasa arranged an alternate flight on Indigo, scheduled for 10:40 PM, the new departure time was over an hour later than the original. Furthermore, the airline failed to compensate the affected passengers, violating the provisions of Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) Section-3, Series M, Part IV.

The DGCA order stated: “Akasa Air denied boarding to 7 passengers on 6th September 2024 who had booked a flight from BLR to PNQ on flight no QP 1437. The aircraft scheduled to operate on the route was grounded due to foreign object damage, and the replacement aircraft had nine non-operational seats, causing the denial of boarding to these passengers. The passengers were moved to Indigo flight 6E 116, but no compensation was provided, thus failing to comply with CAR Section-3, Series M, Part IV.”

Acknowledging the DGCA notice, an Akasa Air spokesperson said: “We acknowledge receipt of an order by the DGCA dated December 24, 2024. We continue to work closely with the DGCA to address this matter and enhance our protocols as required by the regulator.”

Meanwhile, the latest DGCA action comes amid increasing scrutiny of the airline by the aviation regulator.

Last week, Akasa received a notice for lapses in aircraft maintenance and certification. The airline was also issued a show cause notice for not updating its operations manual within the prescribed time.

In a separate incident on December 9, the DGCA issued a show cause notice to Akasa’s Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) after a spot check on August 30 at Bangalore International Airport revealed improper reinstallation of a right-hand nose wheel tire pressure indicator sensor on aircraft VT-YAY. The certifying staff had failed to lock the sensor system properly.

Earlier in November, the DGCA imposed a ₹30 lakh fine on Akasa Air for lapses in pilot training following an audit in May and a subsequent show cause notice issued in August.