Air India, Akasa Air CEOs clash verbally over poaching of pilots: Report

The chief executives of Air India and Akasa Air have privately exchanged barbs over the poaching of pilots, said a report on Tuesday. The letter from Campbell Wilson, the CEO of Air India, to Vinay Dube, the CEO of Akasa Air, was seen by Reuters and detailed the rare verbal and written confrontations between the airlines' chief executives.

Akasa accused Air India of contravening government policies that mandate a notice period of six to 12 months for pilots, rules that Indian pilots' groups are challenging in court. Air India pushed back, arguing that collusion to curb job switching can breach competition law.

The exchange spotlights growing competition in India's aviation market, as a strong rebound in air travel after the pandemic, coupled with a flurry of orders for new aircraft, lead to a shortage of pilots.

Wilson has responded to complaints from Akasa about poaching pilots, pointing out this practice was not currently against government rules, and adding that Akasa itself was previously involved in similar activities. According to Wilson, Akasa has poached crew members from Tata Group's budget carrier, Air India Express, as well as other carriers, raising questions about its current insistence on the issue.

Wilson openly questioned Akasa's newfound objections. In response, Akasa did not comment on the specifics of Wilson's claims but insisted that the issue of pilot exits was "now behind us … we are squarely back in growth mode".

Air India and Akasa Air are both expanding their operations rapidly. Air India is in the process of a major turnaround under the leadership of the Tata Group, which acquired the airline in January 2022. Akasa Air, which started operations in August 2022, has already placed orders for 72 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.

Akasa has reportedly lost nearly 10 per cent of its 450-strong pilot team. These pilots abruptly terminated their contracts, with several moving to Air India Express, bypassing their notice periods. This comes after Akasa released a statement in September indicating potential shutdown risks.

Consequently, the embattled airline initiated lawsuits against certain departing pilots and the aviation watchdog for alleged negligence in its hour of need. These court proceedings remain unresolved. Wilson, representing Akasa, conveyed his disquiet to rival Dube over a recent telephonic conversation. He warned that seeking competitor collusion to limit the rights of employees to switch jobs could potentially invite competition law violation charges. Wilson added, “I regret that you interpreted my courtesy of taking your call and listening to your request as assent”.

The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has categorised the claimed mass resignations from Akasa Air as a clear "indication" of widespread employee dissatisfaction within the fledgling airline.  

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