NEW DELHI: Aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has placed a senior official of Akasa Air under a six-month suspension for violation of rules during a pilot skill test. The airline had voluntarily reported the incident involving a Detailed Examiner (DE) to the regulator after conducting internal review sessions, said a source.
The order issued by the DGCA, dated July 29, stated, "Suspension of DE approval of Captain Kunal Khajuria is hereby ordered for a period of 6 months, effective from the date of this order."
The airline’s Director of Training, Captain Sewak Singh Khosa, had informed the regulator about the breach of rules by Khajuria.
"Procedural violations were found in the pilot skill assessment," a source said.
“As per the standard procedure, it was reported to the Director, who in turn brought it to the notice of the DGCA,” he added.
In a statement on the incident, Akasa Air said, “Keeping safety in mind is of utmost priority at Akasa. Each Designated Examiner 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 training and assessments are professional, and meet prescribed regulatory standards without any fair of passing unsatisfactory candidates.”