Vinay Dubey, co-founder and CEO of Akasa Air
Akasa Air has now stopped hiring pilots as it has enough strength to operate its current fleet of 24 aircraft and accommodate coming growth, founder and CEO Vinay Dube said on Wednesday.
In September last year, Akasa Air was forced to cancel about 24 daily flights as about 43 pilots abruptly resigned to join rival airlines without serving their mandatory notice periods. The airline was so desperate that it declared before the Delhi High Court that it was in a “state of crisis” and that it “might close down”. However, the airline later made it clear that there was no closure.
Speaking at CAPA India Aviation Summit 2024, Dube said, “We have stopped hiring pilots. We have enough pilots for our current fleet. We have enough pilots for our growth. We are focused on building their skills.”
He stated that currently 3,000 to 5,000 young pilots are unemployed in India; Therefore, the most important issue is the appropriate pace of introducing pilots to the airline. “We need a gestation period for highly qualified pilots (so that they have ample opportunities for upgrades and promotion). We are focusing on that,” he noted. There are no issues regarding skilled labor in India as the country already supplies skilled labor to the world.
Akasa Air, which operated its first commercial flight in August 2022, had placed an order for 150 B737 Max aircraft with US aircraft manufacturer Boeing in January. That is why the airline now has a total of 226 Max aircraft on order with Boeing.
Boeing has delivered 24 of the 226 aircraft. The airline received 19 aircraft in the 2022-2023 financial year. In 2023-2024 it received five aircraft. According to CAPA India, the airline will receive six aircraft from Boeing in 2024-2025.
First print: June 5, 2024 | 5:18 PM IST