Akasa Air's designated examiner has been suspended by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) over procedural lapses during a pilot skill test.
The aviation watchdog has also nullified the test conducted by the examiner and ordered a retest for the trainee pilots. Issuing a statement, Akasa Air said, "Keeping safety in mind is of utmost priority at Akasa. Each designated Examiner (DE) and every other employee of the company upholds this standard in its highest form, at all times. The primary objective of any designated Examiner at Akasa is to ensure that all trainings and assessments are professional,and meet prescribed regulatory and safety standards without any fear of passing unsatisfactory candidates" Notably, designated examiners are authorised to conduct various skill tests and proficiency checks for pilots to ensure that they meet the required competency level for licensing and ratings. "Refer to e-mail dated 26.05.2025 by Director Training of Akasa Air, the case has been examined and based on the personal bearing and review of procedural deviations and findings during the check session conducted by Designated Examiner, DE approval is hereby suspended for a period of six months," the DGCA said in its July 29 order. The regulator in its order also "warned" the senior pilot to adhere to the regulatory compliances and regulatory standards in future. Further, the trainee pilot's skill test conducted by the senior pilot is hereby declared null and void. A retest shall be conducted by a qualified Designated Examiner (DE) under the observation of a type-rated flight operations inspector, the DGCA order stated. (Note: Akasa abided by regulatory and safety guidelines where the Director of Training reported the matter to the DGCA, upholding his responsibility.)
