DGCA imposes Rs 20 lakh fine on Air Asia for failing to discharge duties

Aviation regulator DGCA has imposed Rs 20 lakh fine on Air Asia (India) airline for violation of applicable DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements.

The DGCA has also imposed a penalty of Rs 3 lakh each on eight designated examiners of the airline for failing to discharge their duties.

It has also asked for removal of the airline's Head of Training from his position for three months.

Earlier, a surveillance inspection of Air Asia (India) Ltd was carried out by the DGCA during November 23 to November 25, 2022.

According to a senior official, during the inspection, the DGCA team observed that a few mandatory exercises of the pilots of Air Asia (India) Ltd were not done during Pilot Proficiency Check and Instrument Rating check (which is an International Civil Aviation Organisation requirement) as per schedule, resulting in violation of DGCA regulations.

Subsequently, the DGCA issued show-cause notices to the Accountable manager, head of training and all designated examiners of M/s Air Asia (India) Ltd as to why enforcement action should not be taken against them for lack of oversight of their regulatory obligations.

11/02/23 IANS/Business Standard

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DGCA fines AirAsia India Rs 20 lakh for lapses in pilot proficiency checks

New Delhi: Tata Group AirAsia India (now AIX Connect) has faced regulatory ire after an audit revealed improper pilot checks. Accordingly, the DGCA has fined the low cost carrier Rs 20 lakh; withdrawn its head of training from his position for three months and fined eight examiners Rs 3 lakh each (meaning a total of Rs 24 lakh). The fines collectively add up to Rs 44 lakh.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had carried out a surveillance inspection of the LCC from November 23-25, 2022. “During the inspection, DGCA team observed that a few mandatory exercises of AirAsia India pilots were not done during pilot proficiency check/instrument rating check (which is an International Civil Aviation Organization requirement) as per schedule, resulting in violation of DGCA regulations,” the regulator said in a statement.

An AIX Connect spokesperson said: “We acknowledge that a finding related to training exercises of pilots was observed by the DGCA following the main base inspection in November 2022. Immediate corrective action was taken in coordination with DGCA and additional simulator training sessions to address the gap were implemented. Additionally, we had already conducted these exercises as part of simulator training done beyond the mandated regulatory training requirements. We wish to reiterate that there is no deviation from the safety margins required for our operations. Nonetheless, we are reviewing the DGCA order and are considering making an appeal as per available regulatory provisions.”

Show cause notices were then served to the airline’s accountable manager, head of training and all its designated examiners as to why enforcement action should not be taken against them for lack of oversight of their regulatory obligations. After examining there written replies, the DGCA decided to take enforcement action against the airline.

11/02/23 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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AirAsia India announces operations from the newly launched Terminal 2 at BLR Airport in Bengaluru from 15th February

AirAsia India announced that the airline would be moving all domestic operations to the newly launched Terminal 2 at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (BLR Airport) from 15th February. Extending its promise of speed, efficiency and innovation from digital touchpoints to airport operations, AirAsia India would be operating from T2 with state-of-the-art facilities and a majority of departures being facilitated via aerobridge.

Bengaluru is the home base and largest hub for AirAsia India, and will operate 43 daily departures connecting  Bengaluru to Delhi, Goa, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Pune, Jaipur, Lucknow, Ranchi, Kochi, Chennai, Visakhapatnam and Surat. The airline will also operate connecting flights from Bengaluru to Imphal and Srinagar on its network.

Speaking about the move, Aloke Singh, President, AirAsia India, said, “As we continue to grow and expand, we are pleased to announce the relocation of our operations to the new Terminal 2 at our home base of Bengaluru. We share the ethos of T2, built on the premises of ‘sustainability’, ‘technology’, ‘innovation’ and ‘art’. The new terminal operations will serve as a catalyst for our Bengaluru operations, one of the largest with 43 daily departures.”

Adding to this, Hari Marar, MD & CEO, Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), said, “We are gearing up to welcome the passengers of AirAsia India to BLR Airport’s new Terminal 2 (T2), which is set to offer them a distinctive experience. BLR Airport is seeing a strong rebound in passenger traffic as the number of passengers and flight movements have steadily climbed over the last few months. With the additional capacity that is available at T2, we are now well-equipped to handle this growth and serve as the new gateway to India.”

04/02/23 Travel & Tour

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AirAsia India introduces Travel Insurance Coverage

In its continued endeavour to extend products and services that deliver ease and comfort to guests, AIX Connect, operating as AirAsia India, announced comprehensive travel insurance in association with Tata AIG General Insurance Company Ltd. The travel insurance can be purchased while booking on the airline’s website, airasia.co.in or the AirAsia India Mobile App. It can be purchased at a nominal fee of INR149 (Inclusive of GST).

The comprehensive travel insurance being facilitated by the airline is curated to insure guests against expenses and inconvenience caused by emergencies and unforeseen circumstances. The travel insurance covers all destinations across the airline’s domestic network. Guests holding a valid Indian passport between the ages of 18 and 70 years can opt to be covered under the comprehensive travel insurance.

The Group Domestic Travel Assure insurance cover includes:

Loss of Checked-in Baggage cover

Common Carrier Delay cover

Trip Cancellation cover

Emergency Medical Evacuation cover

Trip Interruption cover

Medical Expenses – Accident Only cover

Accidental death (Common Carrier only) cover

Permanent Total/Partial Disability cover

Key Replacement cover

Missed Connection cover

Insurance is the subject matter of solicitation. For more details on benefits, exclusions, limitations, terms and conditions, please refer to the policy wordings carefully, available at www.airasia.co.in/tata-aig before concluding a sale.

01/02/23 Kanchan Nath/TravelDailyMedia

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