Akasa Air fined for not allowing seven people to board and not compensating

This is the second fine levied on Akasa Air recently. Pic/PTI

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) imposed a R10 lakh fine on Akasa Air for not allowing seven passengers to board an aircraft and failing to offer the required compensation. The incident occurred on September 6 when the passengers were stopped from boarding a Bengaluru-Pune flight.

An Akasa Air spokesperson confirmed the development and said, "We acknowledge receipt of an order by the DGCA dated December 24. We continue to work closely with the DGCA to address this matter." A DGCA senior official said, "The original flight was delayed after the aircraft was grounded due to foreign object damage, and a replacement aircraft was brought in; but it had nine inoperable seats. As a result, seven passengers could not board."

"Though an alternative flight was arranged, the airline did not offer compensation to the affected passengers, which we (DGCA), while investigating, found to be a breach of the Civil Aviation Requirements, resulting in a fine being levied upon the airline," the official added. Just two weeks back, the airline received a notice for lapses in aircraft maintenance and certification and was also issued a show cause notice for failing to update its operations manual in a timely manner.

Show cause notice

On December 9, the DGCA issued a show cause notice to Akasa's Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME). This came after an inspection on August 30 at Bangalore International Airport revealed improper reinstallation of a nose wheel tyre pressure indication sensor on the Boeing 737-8 MAX. The certifying staff had not securely locked the sensor system. A DGCA senior official said, "The Akasa AME failed to adhere to specific provisions, attributing the violations to inadequate maintenance standards and certification practices by the AME."