Akasa Air's Vinay Dube Receives DGCA Warning Letter for Regulatory Non-Compliance Issues

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a warning letter to Akasa Air's accountable manager, Vinay Dube. This action follows regulatory breaches, including mishandling dangerous goods. Sources revealed that the DGCA highlighted two incidents: a hard landing and failure to update the operations manual on time. Akasa Air has not yet commented on these developments.

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In an unusual move, the DGCA has sent two warning letters to Akasa Air within a week. This is part of broader actions against the airline, which is just over two years old. The DGCA has also suspended the head of operations and head of training for alleged pilot training lapses. According to the DGCA website, Vinay Dube is the accountable manager of SNV Aviation Pvt Ltd, operating as Akasa Air.

Regulatory Actions and Compliance Issues

The warning letter dated January 13 also mentions the suspension of two senior executives. These suspensions were directed by the DGCA. The hard landing incident occurred in March 2024 but was only noted during an inspection in October 2024. Consequently, the pilot involved was relieved from training duties last month.

A show cause notice was issued last month regarding the non-revision of the operations manual. On January 9, another warning letter was sent to Akasa Air after an inspection on December 12 in Ahmedabad revealed lapses in handling lithium batteries. During this inspection, significant non-compliances were found, including accepting electronic devices with lithium batteries without verifying battery power.

Corrective Measures and Future Vigilance

Other issues included accepting lithium battery shipments exceeding permissible weight limits for passenger aircraft. After being flagged by the regulator, Akasa Air took corrective actions. They issued circulars to cargo agents and staff and caution letters to cargo acceptance personnel.

Considering these corrective steps and the severity of non-compliances, DGCA warned Akasa Air to be more vigilant about dangerous goods compliance. The airline must ensure no future violations occur. Additionally, sources indicated that Akasa Air has been instructed to conduct internal audits at all cargo acceptance and handling facilities within 30 days of receiving the warning letter.

In October 2024, DGCA fined Akasa Air Rs 10 lakh for not providing timely compensation to passengers denied boarding at Bangalore Airport in September.