Pune-Delhi Akasa Air Flight Diverted, Lands At Mumbai Airport After Security Alert

A Delhi-bound Akasa Air flight from Pune was diverted to Mumbai and landed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport after it received a security alert shortly after take-off last night, says the airline company, reported ANI. This comes amid the sudden exits of pilots that the airline has been witnessing recently. Founder and CEO of Akasa Air, Vinay Dube told PTI that the airline had about 330 pilots in April and around 40 went away without serving the notice period or with one day, two days or less than 24 hours notice.


"Today, we have little over 450 pilots... between April and today, we have probably added about a third of additional pilots despite a small number leaving," he was further quoted as saying by PTI.


Despite the ongoing crisis, Dube is "dead set against" the idea of having any kind of no-poaching agreement between airlines, asserting that it will not be right, the agency reported.


Dube said the airline has initiated legal action against the pilots concerned after the sudden exits led to the cancellation of some flights in July and August. The carrier's market share also took a hit due to the cancellations, stated PTI.


"We got the judicial clarity. So, I don't think anything is required actually. The matter is behind us and really now, we are squarely in growth mode. The expectation is that our network will grow by 10 per cent in December and then over 33 per cent by March. So, really this is not an issue and nothing is required," he said in an interview.


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