Akasa Air can proceed with its suit in Mumbai seeking contractual damages from five pilots who abruptly exited the aviation company, the Bombay High Court ruled on September 27.
The court had on September 25 reserved its order in the pilots' plea that challenged the maintainability of lawsuits filed against them in the court by Akasa Air.
According to reports, former Akasa pilots had challenged the maintainability of lawsuits filed against them before the Bombay High Court for not serving their notice period as per contract. Pilots argued that since their employment contracts were not executed in Mumbai, the Bombay High Court was not the right court to proceed with the matter.
The low-cost airline, meanwhile, approached the court seeking its urgent intervention to obtain a stay against the small set of pilots who abruptly resigned and abandoned their positions without serving a mandatory six-month notice period. The airline claims that the pilots’ exit has led to a disruption of flights between July and September.
Earlier on September 22, Akasa Air also approached the Delhi High Court seeking clarification and instructions on the enforcement of the mandatory notice period requirement for pilots.
Akasa Air has been grappling with the issue of pilot shortage after several pilots quit the airline without serving any notice period.
The airline claims it has been forced to cancel flights due to the sudden exit of its cockpit crew which has caused inconvenience to passengers.
The airline, which was otherwise seeing steady growth, lost one percentage point of its market share that fell to 4.2 percent in August. Its On-Time Performance ranking fell to the third spot after being a top performer for three consecutive months. The airline also paid Rs 1 crore in compensation to affected passengers in July and August.
Also Read: Akasa Air expects to have over 900 pilots in 18 months, calls flight cancellations 'short-term'
Akasa Air earlier told CNBC-TV18 that it currently has a team of over 450 pilots, with an additional 60 pilots expected to join after completing their notice periods at other airlines. The airline hopes to double its current pilot strength within the next 18 months.
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