DGCA warns Akasa Air to be more cautious in handling dangerous goods

DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation), the monitoring body for aviation safety, has directed Akasa Air to conduct an internal audit of all its cargo handling facilities. Along with this, the airline has also been warned to be more cautious in handling dangerous goods after cases of deficiencies came to light.

This is the latest in a series of regulatory warnings issued to the airline, which is less than two years old. In the last few weeks, the DGCA has taken action against the airline for different cases. On Tuesday, sources told PTI that the DGCA had found flaws in the handling of lithium batteries after an investigation conducted on December 12 in Ahmedabad. After this, a warning letter was issued to Akasa Air.

He said that during the surveillance inspection, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) found "significant irregularities" on the part of the airline. This also included accepting electronic devices containing lithium batteries without checking or verifying the power of the battery. Sources said that apart from other deficiencies, the airline was found accepting consignments of lithium batteries weighing more than the approved limit for carrying on passenger aircraft. There was no immediate comment from Akasa Air on the DGCA's warning letter dated January 9.

According to sources, the airline has taken corrective measures after the regulator identified the deficiencies. For this, instructions have been issued to cargo agents and employees. Also, a warning has been issued by issuing a letter to cargo acceptance staff. Given the severity of the non-compliance and corrective action, the DGCA has warned Akash Air to be more vigilant towards compliance for carriage of dangerous goods by air and ensure no violations in the future, people in the know of the matter said.

Akash Air has been asked to do internal audits of all its cargo acceptance and handling facilities regarding compliance within 30 days of receiving the warning, sources said. As per DGCA norms, there are certain items that are categorized as dangerous goods and which need extra compliance so that those items are safely carried.

More recently, last month, DGCA ordered the suspension of two of its senior officials - the Director of Operations and Director of Training - for six months for alleged lapses in pilot training. Earlier this month, the regulator had relieved one of its pilots from training for a missed landing. In October 2024, the DGCA imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Akasa Air for its failure to pay compensation in time to some passengers who were denied boarding at the Bangalore airport in September this year.