Over 300 Akasa Air pilots grounded due to aircraft shortage
What's the story
Akasa Air is grappling with a major issue as more than 300 of its pilots continue to remain grounded. The issue has persisted for nearly a year, mainly due to an aircraft shortage, CNBC-TV18 has reported.
The airline's staff comprises of nearly 700 pilots, which means almost half of them are unable to fly regularly.
The lack of flying hours is raising concerns among the grounded pilots over lost training opportunities.
Issues raised
Pilots raise concerns over training and flying hours
A group of Akasa Air pilots has raised its grievances with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
In a series of emails accessed by CNBC-TV18, they flagged problems of ambiguous training processes and inadequate flying hours.
Since December 11, 2024, seven pilots have quit over these issues.
The emails also hinted at possible favoritism in flight hour distribution by the rostering head.
Airline's response
Akasa Air refutes allegations, claims high pilot satisfaction
Responding to the allegations, Akasa Air has maintained that its pilots are happy and satisfied.
The airline reiterated its commitment to a positive workplace and noted its low attrition rate.
It claimed an annual attrition rate of less than 1% among pilots.
However, the complaining pilots contradicted this and said just 25% of their colleagues filled the airline's monthly feedback survey while the rest skipped it.
Operational challenges
Pilot-to-aircraft ratio and financial impact
Akasa Air's pilot-to-aircraft ratio stands at 30:1, much higher than other narrow-body players such as IndiGo, Air India Express, and SpiceJet.
These airlines usually have 10-12 pilots per aircraft.
The non-flying pilots at Akasa Air have raised concerns over missing flying allowances—up to 30 hours every month—and missing mandatory bi-annual training amid the current situation.
Future outlook
Akasa Air's growth and future plans
Akasa Air currently flies a fleet of 26 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and hopes to receive its 27th by the end of this month.
The airline noted that while its growth has been rapid, aircraft deliveries have been slower than expected due to problems with Boeing.
However, Akasa Air remains optimistic about its future plans, saying that over 60% of its pilots have begun accumulating flying hours and hopes the number will increase significantly by year-end.