DGCA order suspension of 2 directors of Akasa Air for training lapses

Aviation safety regulator DGCA on Friday ordered the suspension of director of operations and director of training at Akasa Air for six months for alleged lapses in pilots' training. The two senior executives of the airline, in which the Rakesh Jhunjhunwala family holds stakes, have "failed" to ensure "compliances" with the civil aviation requirements, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in its two separate orders of December 27.

The suspension of the Akasa Air director of operations and director of training came after the DGCA found the replies to the show-cause notices issued to them on October 15 and October 30, respectively, as "unsatisfactory".

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation, in its orders, also advised the airline to nominate "suitable" candidates for the two positions.

Response to the query sent to Akasa on the issue was awaited.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) while issuing suspension orders, said: "It has been found in regulatory audit conducted by DGCA on Oct 7, 2024, at M/s SNV Aviation Private Limited (Akasa Air), Mumbai, that RNP training (Approaches) is being conducted on simulators which have not been qualified for the same... Which is in violation of Para 7 of CAR Section 7, Series D, Part VI." Stating that the director of operations and the director of training at Akasa Air "failed to ensure the compliances of Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR)," the DGCA said that the two officials "failed to train personnel adequately ... Also repeated lapses/violation has been found pertaining to training".

The DGCA in its order also said that the two senior executives have " failed to discharge duties to meet applicable legal requirements and to maintain safe operations" as per certain provisions of a particular CAR.