Akasa Air, a new Indian airline, is grounding numerous pilots owing to production problems with the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
Too many pilots.
Akasa Air has been continuously hiring and training pilots since its first flight on October 7, 2022, just two years after the COVID-19 pandemic, counting on the carrier’s order of 72 (later 76) Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, which will be delivered on a continuous (or at least predictable) basis. Recently, the airline ordered 150 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft at WINGS India 2024.
Unfortunately for Akasa Air and Boeing, a door blow out on an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 in January 2024 would significantly limit 737 MAX output. The Boeing machinist strike in September caused a complete halt in MAX manufacturing until December 2024.
Despite the delivery delays, the airline remained committed to its ambitious growth strategy, hiring and training pilots in an average of 12 months. To keep up with its expected fleet increase, Akasa Air estimated that it will require an average of 18 pilots per aircraft.
However, due to the aforementioned production delays with Boeing, the airline is now operating a fleet of only 26 operable aircraft. Using a generally accepted aircraft-to-crew ratio in the airline business, this means that the airline only needs approximately 460 pilots to operate its planes.
According to an interview with Indian daily The Hindu, approximately 400 out of 850 Akasa Air pilots have yet to begin flying.
The carrier has extended the training window for prospective pilots to 18 months, with an extra 6-month delay as more aircraft are expected to be delivered.
Obviously, skilled pilots who aren’t flying still need to make ends meet, so Akasa Air is paying its grounded pilots the equivalent of 40 flying hours per week (about $3,000 per month) until replacement aircraft can be delivered.
In reaction to the airline’s ongoing delays, several pilots have begun to file complaints with the Indian aviation regulatory agency, the DGCA, over the delays and “favoritism” in determining which staff are released to fly.
The DGCA has previously punished the Indian airline and compelled the firm to suspend two executives as a result of similar issues.
One of India’s new airlines
Akasa Air, founded in 2022 and supported by Indian investor and billionaire Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, has enormous expansion plans for the Indian airline sector.
Despite its record-breaking (and forecast) annual increase of 15-20 million passengers, most routes in the Indian aviation sector are still served by three or four large airlines.
Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet are the only major companies in India’s aviation business, with the majority of flight routes being monopolized or duopolized.
That is, until Akasa Air entered the scene two years ago. The airline plans to disrupt the Indian aviation sector by offering a high-quality, low-cost alternative to carriers like Air India.
With considerable cash, the airline decided to purchase and operate the 737 MAX, despite the controversy and concerns surrounding the aircraft type. This is due to the MAX’s widespread availability after a two-year suspension.
Now, over three years after placing their first order with Boeing, Akasa Air expects over 200 Boeing aircraft, with less than 30 having been delivered.
The carrier isn’t the only one afflicted by the American aerospace company’s production issues. In a rare display of dissent in 2024, Emirates CEO Sir Tim Clark publicly stated his displeasure with the situation at Boeing, citing development and manufacturing delays with the Boeing 777X aircraft.