IANS | 18 Sep, 2023
Akasa Air has initiated legal action against more than 40 pilots who
recently left the airline to join other carriers. This sudden departure
of pilots has compelled the airline, which commenced operations in
August of the previous year, to cancel numerous flights since the
previous month.
Consequently, by August this year, Akasa's
domestic market share had fallen behind that of the financially
challenged SpiceJet, a carrier it had surpassed in June.
Akasa is
reportedly requesting around Rs 22 crore in compensation for the loss
of revenue and damage to its reputation, citing that the 43 pilots in
question departed without fulfilling the mandatory notice period.
"We
have sought legal remedy only against a small set of pilots who
abandoned their duties and left without serving their mandatory
contractual notice period. This was not only in violation of their
contract but also the country's civil aviation regulations," the airline
spokesperson told IANS.
"Not only is this illegal in law but
also an unethical and selfish act that disrupted flights in August
forcing last-minute cancellations that stranded thousands of customers,
causing significant inconvenience to the travelling public," the
spokesperson further said.
"Fortunately, that is behind us now.
Thanks to the hard work of our colleagues. As a young start up, we are
proud of what every Akasian has helped us build in the first year of our
operations," the spokesperson said.
"Therefore, this kind of
behaviour by a handful of employees is not only illegal and unethical,
but also deeply disrespectful to the hard work of our entire team which
shows up to work, everyday with utmost integrity," the spokesperson
added.
