The conflict between Indian airline Akasa Air and some of its pilots goes on as India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the country’s aviation authority, declined to intervene in the conflict.
Managers at the airline have hinted at the continuity of the airline not being guaranteed if the conflict is not resolved and the carrier is forced to keep canceling flights.
At the root of the problem is the resignation of over 40 pilots (around 10% of Akasa’s pilot workforce) in recent months. The airline alleges that those resignations were handed down without the required notice period of between 6 and 12 months (depending on seniority).
Akasa Air sued the government over what it alleges is a failure to enforce this rule, which the pilots are also challenging in court.
In its defense, the DGCA has alleged that it has no authority to meddle in private labor disputes and that the airline’s case against it should be thrown out.
The conflict has erupted right at a time when Akasa Air has received the greenlight to start international flights. The startup airline aimed to fly between India and several destinations in the Middle East. It is not clear how the current dispute will be affecting these plans, since Akasa Air has been temporarily scaling down its operations in India due to the unavailability of pilots.