4 min readNew DelhiSep 17, 2023 09:06 AM IST
First published on: Sep 17, 2023 at 03:59 AM IST
Akasa Air has moved the Bombay High Court against more than 40 pilots for breach of contract, alleging that they quit the fledgling carrier without serving the regulation six-month notice period, according to sources in the know. Over the past few weeks, Akasa Air was forced to cancel a number of its flights due to such resignations. Most of these pilots are understood to have accepted offers from Air India Express, which, like Akasa Air, operates Boeing 737 family of aircraft.
Apart from seeking that these pilots be barred from joining rival airlines, the 13-month-old airline has also sought crores of rupees in compensation from each pilot for loss of operational profits and damage to its reputation due to their sudden exit, sources said. Akasa Air is also understood to have sought the intervention of sector regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation in the matter.
While Akasa Air did confirm that it had taken legal recourse against some pilots, it did not specify the exact number of such pilots or details of the compensation sought from them. “We have sought legal remedy only against a small set of pilots who abandoned their duties and left without serving their mandatory contractual notice period. This was not only in violation of their contract but also the country’s civil aviation regulation. Not only is this illegal in law but also an unethical and selfish act that disrupted flights in August forcing last minute cancellations that stranded thousands of customers causing significant inconvenience to the travelling public,” an Akasa Air spokesperson said.
In August, Akasa Air’s market share (by passengers carried) declined to 4.2 per cent from July’s 5.2 per cent, pushing it below SpiceJet in the pecking order of domestic carriers. Akasa Air, which first took to the skies in August 2022, had overtaken SpiceJet in terms of market share in June and was ahead in July as well.
“Fortunately, that (flight cancellations) is behind us now. Thanks to the hard work of our colleagues. As a young start up, we are proud of what every Akasian has helped us build in the first year of our operations. Therefore, this kind of behaviour by a handful of employees is not only illegal and unethical, but also deeply disrespectful to the hard work of our entire team which shows up to work, everyday with utmost integrity,” the Akasa Air spokesperson added.
Akasa Air had been rapidly expanding its operations and network over the past year, which saw it becoming the fastest to get to a fleet of 20 aircraft. On the other hand, under the Tata group, the Air India group of airlines is also planning a massive fleet and network expansion with hundreds of aircraft on order. Air travel demand in India is booming and is likely to rise significantly over the next few years, and demand for pilots, particularly experienced ones, is expected to skyrocket. Industry analysts foresee a severe shortage of experienced Indian pilots in the coming years.
With Air India Express and Akasa Air operating similar types of aircraft, it would be easier for either airline to onboard the other’s pilots. Among major Indian carriers, only Air India Express, Akasa Air, and SpiceJet operate Boeing 737 family jets. IndiGo, Air India, Vistara, and AIX Connect operate Airbus A320 family planes in the single-aisle jet segment.
Apart from seeking that these pilots be barred from joining rival airlines, the 13-month-old airline has also sought crores of rupees in compensation from each pilot for loss of operational profits and damage to its reputation due to their sudden exit, sources said. 
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