Akasa Air faces show-cause notice from DGCA over regulatory violations

Akasa Air has been issued a show-cause notice by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) following the discovery of regulatory violations during a recent audit of its flight operations.

The aviation regulator's spot checks revealed that practical training sessions for crew members were being simulated and completed without the necessary regulatory approvals. This has raised serious concerns about the adequacy of training standards and the operational readiness of the airline.

The DGCA has given Akasa Air one week to respond and provide an explanation for these breaches.

Akasa Air, which commenced operations in August 2022 with its first flight from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, launched its first international service from Mumbai to Doha in March this year. According to government data, the airline carried over 600,000 passengers in July, capturing a market share of approximately 4.7%.

Despite facing losses exceeding Rs 2,400 crore in its first two years of operation, Akasa Air's co-founder and CEO, Vinay Dube, expressed optimism about the airline's financial future. He stated last week that he expects the airline to achieve profitability within the next three years and has plans to go public by 2028. In an interview with PTI earlier this year, Dube hinted at a future listing for the airline, though no specific timeline was provided.

In a related development, the DGCA also issued an "enhanced surveillance" notice to SpiceJet earlier today. This decision follows a special audit conducted by the regulator earlier this month, which was prompted by reports that the airline had to cancel flights from Dubai due to non-payment of dues.

The audit uncovered "certain deficiencies," leading the DGCA to place SpiceJet under enhanced surveillance, which entails increased spot checks and night-time audits to ensure operational safety.