Akasa Air issued showcause notice by DGCA for regulatory violations

A spot audit and scrutiny revealed that practical training sessions conducted by the airline were completed and simulated without the mandated requisite regulatory approvals, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a release

Aviation watchdog DGCA on Thursday issued a showcause notice to Akasa Air for "several regulatory breaches identified during a recent review". The showcause notice was issued after spot audit and scrutiny revealed that practical training sessions conducted by the airline were completed and simulated without the mandated requisite regulatory approvals, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a release.

According to DGCA, the show cause notice has been issued to the airline with respect to "several regulatory breaches identified during a recent review". The airline has been asked to give an explanation for the lapses within a period of seven days.

This has raised significant concerns regarding the adequacy of training standards and operational readiness, it added. In the release, DGCA also emphasised that it will take all necessary action to enforce regulatory compliance.

“Akasa Air is in receipt of a notice from the DGCA in relation to an audit conducted in May 2024 and we will submit a response as per protocol. Safety is of utmost importance, and we continuously strive to pursue the highest standards of safety,” an Akasa Air spokesperson said on the development.

In less than two years of taking to the skies, Akasa Air has a fleet of 24 planes and has more than 4,000 employees. Aditya  Ghosh, who has donned multiple and diverse roles during his career, said that airlines are becoming more of a consumption story in India. “We will increasingly see it as consumer-focused businesses where the learnings which are there from ecommerce companies will help us address the needs and behaviour of consumers better in the transportation business,” Co-Founder Aditya Ghosh said to news agency PTI.

More than 200 aircraft are expected to join the airline’s fleet over the next 8 years. Akasa Air has placed a firm order for 226 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. While stressing that there is enough space for well-run airlines, Aditya Ghosh said he thinks Indian aviation is poised at a place where the growth and success of an airline is not predicated on the failure of someone else.

*With Agency Inputs