Akasa Airlines has decided to take legal action against 43 pilots who joined other airlines without giving notice period. The 13-month-old airline has reportedly sought compensation of around Rs 22 crore from 43 pilots for loss of revenue and damage to the airline’s reputation.
According to a report in Times of India, the airline has been forced to cancel several of its operations from August 2023 due to the mass desertion of pilots.
“We have only sought legal remedies against a small number of pilots who have renounced their duties and left without complying with their mandatory contract notice period,” an Akasa Air spokesperson said. “
The airline said the act was not only a violation of their contract but also violated the country’s civil aviation regulations.
“This is not only illegal in law but also an unethical and selfish act that disrupted flights in August that caused significant inconvenience to the public traveling thousands of customers who forced last-minute cancellations,” it said.
In June this year, the Mumbai-headquartered airline increased the salaries of pilots by up to 40%. According to a report in June, Akasa Air announced that from July 2023, senior first officers will now start with a monthly salary of ₹3.40 lakh, while senior captains will earn ₹6.25 lakh. Earlier it was ₹2.75 lakh and ₹5.75 lakh respectively.
With more experience and flight time, the pay scale could be higher, and captains could earn up to ₹7.75 lakh per month, a 6% increase from the current ₹7.28 lakh, Akasa said in June this year.
