[1/2] A miniature airplane is placed on the displayed Air India Express and Akasa Air logos, in this illustration taken October 30, 2023. Akasa did not comment on its communication with Air India, but said the issue of pilot exits was "now behind us ... we are squarely back in growth mode". Air India declined to comment and the two chief executives did not respond to requests for comment. The dispute comes at the time of a hiring spree by Air India, with its arm, Air India Express, seeking to more than triple its fleet to 170 over five years. In recent weeks, Akasa has lost about a tenth of its 450 pilots, who left without serving out notice periods, some to join Air India Express.

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Persons: Dado Ruvic, Campbell Wilson, Vinay Dube, missive Dube, Akasa, Wilson, Dube, India's Wilson, Aditya Kalra, Aditi Shah, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Air India Express, REUTERS, Tata's, India Express, Air, Akasa, Reuters, Air India, Tata Group, Tata, of Indian Pilots, Thomson Locations: India, DELHI, Air India