Akasa Air sufficiently staffed with over 600 pilots: CEO Vinay Dube on shortage claims

Vinay Dube, the Founder and CEO of Akasa Air, has stepped in to address rumors about a shortage of pilots. Numerous posts on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) claimed that Akasa Air's flights were cancelled on February 11 & 12 due to a shortage of pilots.

However, the airline has attributed the cancellation of flights to operational reasons and has not disclosed specific details regarding the number of affected flights.

Vinay Dube clarified in a statement, saying, "I would like to clarify that we do not have a shortage of pilots. Akasa Air is sufficiently staffed with over 600 pilots, enough to operate more than double the size of our current fleet. We have a proven track record of being India’s most dependable and punctual airline since our inception, and we continue to strive to provide our customers with a highly reliable offering."

The issue concerning pilots has once again surfaced for India's youngest airline. Last year, the airline filed a lawsuit against a group of pilots, and the matter is currently under judicial process at the Delhi High Court and Bombay High Court.

Over 40 pilots abandoned their duties without serving the mandatory notice period, leading to flight cancellations and a reduction in the number of flights for Akasa from July to September 2023.

In September, the Delhi High Court provided relief to Akasa by observing that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) can take action against pilots who have not complied with Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR). The court also stated that there are no restrictions on the DGCA to take action against pilots in case of default. The Bombay High Court ruled that Akasa can continue its suit seeking contractual damages from pilots.

In January, Akasa Air ordered 150 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft at WINGS India 2024. Previously, the airline ordered 76 aircraft, and approximately 200 Boeing 737 MAX are yet to be delivered. The new deliveries will commence from mid-2027 till 2032.

In an exclusive interview with CNBC-TV18 last month, Dube stated, "We have plenty of pilots, many are going through the training pipeline. The total number of pilots that we have is almost double our fleet. We will keep hiring more pilots."