India's Akasa Air cuts flights as pilots quit, flags shutdown risk in court

Indian budget carrier Akasa Air has been forced to cut flights in the short-term after many of its pilots quit abruptly, sparking a legal dispute in court where the company has warned that further resignations may even force it to shut down. A small set of pilots "abandoned their duties" and left without serving their mandatory contractual notice period, causing a disruption of flights, but the airline is on course to invest in growing its operations and ordering more planes, CEO Vinay Dube told employees in an email on Tuesday. Dube's email came on a day when the airline's counsel told a Delhi court that Akasa was in "crisis" and may shut down after the abrupt resignations, said a person with direct knowledge of the hearing. Akasa told the court it cancelled 600 flights in August and would be forced to cancel up to 700 more in September if the resignations continue, the person added. "We have chosen to fly less and give up market share ... these are only short-term constraints," he said, adding that the airline had "strong finances" and was confident of its future. Akasa has dragged the pilots, many of whom have joined rival Air India Express, to court and initiated legal proceedings against the aviation regulator to enforce the notice period. The notice period ranges between 6-12 months, depending on the pilot's rank, according to the aviation regulator. "All our actions are aimed at creating a durable and reliable airline for the long run," Akasa said.<br/>