DGCA issues show cause notice to Akasa Air over operations manual violation

Aviation regulator DGCA has issued a show cause notice to Akasa Air for violation of norms related to the airline's operations manual, according to sources.

When contacted, an Akasa Air spokesperson said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has raised certain findings for which they have issued a notice for clarification from the airline's flight operations team.

So far this month, at least two show-cause notices issued by the regulator to the airline, which started flying in August 2022.

Sources told PTI that the watchdog has found a violation with respect to the operations manual, which is required to be revised every six months.

Citing the submissions made by SNV Aviation Pvt Ltd, which operates Akasa Air, the regulator said the revision cycle of the operations manual has exceeded the six-month cycle, which is in violation of certain provisions of Civil Aviation R (CAR), as per the sources. 

The show cause notice, dated December 16, has also mentioned that the Director Flight Operations of the airline failed to ensure compliance with CAR, the sources said and added that the carrier has been asked to show cause as to why suitable action should not be initiated for the violation.

"The DGCA has raised certain findings for which they have issued a notice for clarification from Akasa Air's Flight Operations team. As always, we are working closely with the DGCA to clarify this issue and enhance our protocols as required by the regulator," the Akasa Air spokesperson said in a statement.

On December 9, the watchdog issued a show cause notice to an Akasa Air aircraft maintenance engineer for poor (maintenance) standards and certification.

Akasa Air, which currently has a fleet of 26 planes, faced another headwind last week when some pilots flagged concerns about safety and training practices. 

In a letter dated December 11 to Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu, they had also sought an independent investigation into Akasa Air's management practices, training method and safety standards.

Among other issues, the letter alleged that the airline's claims of maintaining the highest safety standards are misleading.

Akasa Air on December 12 termed the allegations as baseless and untrue and that they do not represent the views of the airline pilots.

In its statement, the airline also said 324 pilots have joined the airline since October 2023, and during this period, it has recorded an annualised attrition of less than 1 per cent for this employee group.