BLR hard landing: DGCA orders ‘corrective training’ for Akasa senior pilot, takes other action too


NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) on Monday withdrew line training captain (LTC) approval for a senior Akasa pilot and also conducted corrective training for him. As pilot in command (PIC), this captain had operated a Bagdogra-Bengaluru flight (QP 1851) on March 1, 2024, which had a forced landing at destination. The airline closed this with just a counseling session without any corrective training for the PIC, the regulator said in its order on Monday.
This came to light during an Akasa audit conducted at its Mumbai office on October 10. A justification was subsequently issued to the pilot and the airline. The regulator found the airline’s response unsatisfactory and has now issued its order in the case. The pilot has been ordered to undergo a “two-hour corrective simulator training session to cover stabilization criteria…. (And) specific training on the dangers of attempting to take off after applying reverse and canceling the decision to turn after applying TOGA (take off and return).”
The DGCA has also withdrawn the pilot’s LTC approval and short takeoffs and landings “with immediate effect and until further orders.” LTC approval allows practical commercial flight training to be provided to trainee pilots.
In recent months, Akasa has been in the firing line of the DGCA for its training. On December 27, 2024, the regulator suspended Akasa’s director training and director operations for six months each and “advised” the airline to nominate “suitable candidates”, i.e. find replacements for these crucial positions. The DGAC order then noted that the two officials did not adequately train staff and that “repeated training-related shortcomings/violations were found.” Following this order, the airline said: “…Safety is of utmost importance and we continually strive to achieve the highest safety standards.”
Training at Akasa recently emerged as a concern when the airline sought exemption from low-visibility operations in Kolkata and Bengaluru this winter, possibly due to lack of trained pilots to carry out the same. “For an airline with 26 aircraft in its fleet and more than 840 pilots that is in its third year of operations, this request indicates that something is wrong in its training,” people familiar with the matter said recently.
Akasa, one of India’s youngest airlines, has been flying through turbulence for some time now. The airline has ordered a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft that the troubled US aerospace company has not been able to deliver as planned. This affected the money that airlines generate from the sale and lease of aircraft. The airline has been seeking funding after suffering losses, something that is not out of the ordinary for any professionally managed airline in the early years of operations, as breaking even requires some time and scale.
While it only has 26 aircraft, Akasa has more than 840 pilots, far more than it really needs at the moment. With most pilots staying at home, not flying or training, and on minimal pay, there is serious unrest among them.





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