GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 15th Jan. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a warning letter to Akasa Air’s CEO and founder, Vinay Dube, citing regulatory lapses. This comes days after the airline was warned for violating norms related to handling dangerous goods.
The warning letter, dated January 13, addresses incidents of a hard landing and a delay in revising the operations manual. DGCA has emphasized the need for stricter compliance to avoid future lapses.
In an unprecedented move, this marks the second warning letter issued to Akasa Air in less than a week. The airline had earlier faced action, including a six-month suspension of its head of operations and head of training, for alleged lapses in pilot training.
The hard landing incident, reported in March 2024, came under scrutiny during an October inspection. The DGCA relieved the concerned pilot from training and issued a show-cause notice for the airline’s failure to update its operations manual.
Additionally, on January 9, DGCA flagged lapses in handling lithium batteries during a December inspection in Ahmedabad. The airline was found accepting shipments of batteries exceeding permissible weight limits and failing to verify battery power.
Akasa Air has since taken corrective measures, including issuing circulars and caution letters to staff. The DGCA has directed the airline to conduct internal audits across its cargo handling facilities within 30 days to ensure compliance.
In October 2024, Akasa Air was also fined ₹10 lakh for not compensating passengers denied boarding at Bangalore Airport. The series of regulatory lapses highlights the importance of strict adherence to aviation safety norms.
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