DGCA Issues Show Cause Notice to Akasa Air for Operations Manual Violations

NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a show cause notice to Akasa Air for alleged lapses in its operations manual and for the airline's director (flight operations) failing to ensure compliance with civil aviation requirements (CAR or DGCA rules). This notice comes just a week after the regulator issued a show cause to Akasa following a spot check that revealed certain maintenance lapses.

Sources indicate that the latest notice is related to the "revision cycle of operations manual exceeding six months cycle as accepted in approved (manual)" and non-compliance of CARs. In response, Akasa Air stated that they are working closely with the DGCA to clarify the issue and enhance their protocols as required by the regulator, emphasizing that safety is of utmost importance and they continuously strive to pursue the highest standards of safety.

However, a section of Akasa pilots has raised concerns about the airline's management practices and training, alleging that failure to revise the operations manual within the required six-month cycle is a breach of safety standards. The pilots have also expressed concerns about the airline's flight operations, biased trainer behavior, and training and safety standards in a letter to the Union aviation minister.

This is the second show cause notice issued to Akasa Air within a week, following an earlier notice on December 9 to an Akasa aircraft maintenance engineer for poor maintenance standards and certification. The repeated warnings and notices from the DGCA have raised questions about the airline's commitment to maintaining the highest safety standards and its impact on the airline's reputation.