The Delhi High Court has granted interim protection to SNV Aviation Private Limited, the operator of Akasa Air, against entities impersonating the airline and conducting recruitment scams using its trademarks. Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora issued the order in response to a commercial suit by SNV Aviation, citing evidence of misrepresentation and passing off by the defendants. The court noted that the defendants were misleading the public by falsely offering employment on behalf of Akasa Air and collecting ‘process fees’, a practice not followed by the airline.
The court emphasized that the fraudulent activities amounted to misrepresentation and deception, causing potential irreparable harm. SNV Aviation, known for its trademarks “AKASA” and “AKASA AIR” since 2021, reported significant sales figures, with an external turnover of Rs 4,582.7 crore for the financial year 2024-25. The plaintiff accused the defendants of colluding to perpetrate job scams through impersonation, using marks like “AKASHA” and “AKAASA”, and engaging in fraudulent communications to extort money from job seekers.
In addition to safeguarding the interests of SNV Aviation, the court highlighted the need to protect the public from such fraudulent schemes. It issued an injunction prohibiting the defendants from continuing their deceptive activities and using the airline’s trademarks or similar marks on official documents. The court also instructed domain registrars to suspend infringing domain names and directed relevant authorities to disclose KYC details and block mobile numbers and bank accounts associated with the scams.
Justice Arora set a deadline for compliance with the court’s directives and scheduled further hearings to address the matter comprehensively. The court’s actions aim to prevent further harm to both the airline and unsuspecting individuals targeted by the recruitment scams.
