summary
- Akasa Airlines is suing more than 40 pilots who failed to comply with a six-month notice period before takeoff, seeking more than $2.5 million in damages.
- The company has faced reputational damage and customer complaints due to flight cancellations, leading to a decline in market share.
- Competition among Indian airlines for experienced pilots is intensifying, with many pilots leaving Akasa to join Air India Express, which, like Akasa, operates Boeing 737 aircraft.
Indian low-cost carrier Akasa Air is suing more than 40 pilots who failed to give them a mandatory six-month notice period before quitting their jobs. Competition among Indian airlines for experienced cockpit crew has intensified recently, with some of Akasa’s pilots reportedly joining Air India Express, which operates the same aircraft as Akasa, the Boeing 737. It is said.
Photo: Akasa Airlines
Akasa Airlines sues pilot for millions of dollars
Akasa Airlines has filed a case in the Bombay High Court against 43 pilots who recently retired without completing the mandatory six-month notice period. According to a complaint filed in court, the airline is seeking more than $2.5 million in damages, including damage to its reputation, operational losses, flight rescheduling and cancellations, and costs spent on pilot training. It also includes compensation. The airline issued the following statement:
“We have sought legal redress only against a small number of pilots who abandoned their missions and took off without completing the mandatory contractual notice period. It also violated civil aviation regulations.
“This is not only legally illegal, it is also unethical and selfish, and in August we were forced to suspend flights and make last-minute cancellations, leaving thousands of customers stranded and unable to travel. This caused great inconvenience to the public.”
Compensation for reputational damage
Over the past few months, Akasa Airlines has received numerous complaints from customers for canceling flights at short notice, affecting the travel plans of thousands of passengers. Around 15 flights were canceled in Karnataka and Kerala alone in August, and several others had to be delayed as well.
Photo: Akasa Airlines
Passengers erupted in anger on social media, demanding refunds and compensation from Akasa, and the flight cancellations affected Akasa’s reputation among those who had to look for more expensive alternatives.
This also impacted Akasa’s overall performance in August, as seen in the DGCA data for the month. The company’s market share fell to 4.2% from 5.2% in July. All this comes as Akasa prepares for international operations, achieving his mandatory requirement of a fleet of 20 aircraft for overseas operations.
Compete for experienced pilots
Most of the pilots who left Akasa are believed to have joined low-cost international airline Air India Express, owned by the Tata Group. Both airlines operate Boeing 737 aircraft, allowing pilots to easily transfer from one airline to the other. Both are in expansion mode and will welcome several new 737s over the next few years.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
Demand for experienced pilots is increasing in India as travel resumes and airlines such as IndiGo and Air India expand their fleets. The country’s airlines are offering attractive pay packages to attract pilots, and Akasa itself has increased pay for cockpit crew twice this year alone.
What do you think about this? Please leave a comment below.