Trouble For Akasa Air: Akasa Air has been charged a Rs 10 lakh penalty by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) due to denial of compensation to boarding passengers. This fine came after some violations of rules followed by Air-India Express regarding denying compensation to passengers who couldn’t board its flights.
Seven Passengers Denied Boarding Due To Aircraft Issues
Seven passengers booked a ticket from Bengaluru to Pune on September 6. Due to foreign object damage to the originally scheduled aircraft, it was grounded, and the airline could provide only a replacement aircraft with nine non-operational seats. Thus, the seven passengers were not accommodated. Later, they were accommodated in an IndiGo flight, scheduled over an hour later than the Akasa flight.
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Akasa Air Delayed Compensation After DGCA Notice, Defends Action
Akasa Air had only started the process of compensation for the passengers affected after receiving a show-cause notice from the DGCA. As per the December 23 order issued by the DGCA, the failure on the part of the airline to pay compensation immediately amounts to a breach of the regulations. In its reply, Akasa Air claimed that it did not compensate the passengers since it had made available another seat to the passengers, which was a valid reason to do so.
DGCA Criticizes Delay, Akasa Air Accepts Fine
The DGCA stressed however that the airline should have stepped in earlier to resolve this whole issue. Akasa Air has since accepted the fine levied and assured that the entity will continue to cooperate with DGCA and take corrective measures accordingly and as required.
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