Akasa Air has cut some flights, thereby ceding certain market share in the short-term, as it tries to provide stable operations amid the resignation of several pilots to rival carriers.

This was indicated by Vinay Dube, CEO, Akasa Air, in an internal email to its employees on Wednesday where he sought to reassure them that the low-cost carrier (LCC) was not shutting down.

It comes after the airline’s lawyers told Delhi High Court that it was facing a “state of crises” and may “shut down’’ after more than 40 pilots allegedly quit without serving their notice periods.

In the email, Dube said: “When a small set of pilots abandoned their duties and left without serving their mandatory contractual notice period, it forced a disruption of flights between July and September, necessitating last-minute cancellations that stranded customers and caused inconvenience to the travelling public.’’

He added that the airline has initiated legal remedy against this “small set of pilots’’ who have left without serving their mandatory contractual notice period and that their actions were not only in “violation of their contract but also the country’s civil aviation regulation’’.

Overseas plans

The airline has received approval from the civil aviation ministry for starting international flights and is looking to fly to South Asia, Southeast Asia and West Asia.

Akasa has a fleet of 20 aircraft and plans to start flying to overseas by year-end.

Dube on Wednesday said the ministry has designated the airline as an international scheduled operator.

The airline is targeting destinations within the range of a Boeing 737 MAX.