Akasa Air fined Rs 10 lakh For Refusing Boarding, Denying Compensation
This is not the first time the airline has faced action from the regulator. In October, it was penalised with a Rs 30 lakh fine for deficiencies in pilot training.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has slapped a penalty of Rs 10 lakh on Akasa Air for not compensating seven passengers who were denied boarding on a Bengaluru-Pune flight.
The incident occurred on Sept. 6 when flight QP 1437, scheduled to depart from the Kempegowda International Airport at 8:50 p.m., was grounded due to damage caused by a foreign object. The aircraft was replaced, but there were nine unserviceable seats, due to which seven passengers were denied boarding, according to the DGCA order.
These passengers were accommodated on an IndiGo flight to Pune, which was over an hour after the Akasa flight. But the airline did not compensate them. According to the DGCA order, the airline even defended that the denial of boarding was due to "reasons beyond their control".
As per rules, no compensation is owed if an alternate flight is arranged within one hour of the original departure time. However, if the delay exceeds one hour, the airline is obligated to pay a compensation of up to Rs 10,000. If the passenger refuses to take the alternative flight, then a compensation of up to Rs 20,000 is payable by the airline. In this case, Akasa Air should have paid Rs 10,000 to each of the affected passengers.
The regulatory action follows a routine surveillance inspection that revealed a service deficiency and violation of the provisions of Civil Aviation Requirements Section-3, Series M, Part IV by the airline.
"The penalty amount shall be deposited within thirty days of receipt of the demand notice," read the order, a copy of which was reviewed by NDTV Profit.
In a statement, an Akasa Air spokesperson said, "We acknowledge receipt of an order by the DGCA dated Dec. 23, 2024. We continue to work closely with the DGCA to address this matter and enhance our protocols as required by the regulator."
This is not the first time the airline has faced action from the regulator. In October, the airline was penalised with a Rs 30 lakh fine for deficiencies in pilot training.
The regulator also recently issued two show-cause notices to Akasa Air for regulatory violations. The first notice, delivered earlier in December, cited poor maintenance standards and deficiencies observed during a spot check at the Bengaluru airport. Another notice was served this month after the regulator found that the director of flight operations failed to update the operations manual within the required six-month timeframe.
The airline stated that it is collaborating with the regulator in response to the show-cause notices.
The airline, founded by the late Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, Vinay Dube, and Aditya Ghosh, is also involved in issues with its pilots. Recently, a group of pilots accused the airline of unfair training practice, harassment and safety concerns, claiming they were threatened by a senior official if they reported sick.
In a letter to the Civil Aviation Minister, the pilots demanded an immediate independent probe into the company's management practices. A total of 84 pilots and many other employees have resigned on a one-day notice, according to the letter. The airline, however, has denied these allegations.
Currently, Akasa Air has a strength of 840 pilots with only 26 aircraft in the fleet.
In August, the DGCA had imposed a similar fine of Rs 10 lakh on Air India Express for not complying with rules pertaining to compensation to passengers affected due to cancellation of flights.
