After many cabin crew members called in sick, Air India Express reportedly terminated the contracts of approximately 30 staff who didn’t show up for work on Wednesday. The protesting crew members cited illness, leading to over 90 flight cancellations and delays, stranding numerous passengers at various airports since Tuesday night.
According to Air India Express, the sick leave constituted a collective effort to disrupt services, breaching both laws and company regulations.
In response, the Chief Labour Commissioner arranged a meeting with the Air India Express union and CEO on Thursday. Meanwhile, an Air India Express spokesperson assured efforts to minimize passenger inconvenience, with 283 flights operational and support from Air India. However, 85 flights remained canceled, prompting affected passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airport.
Air India Express CEO Aloke Singh announced flight reductions due to crew shortages, highlighting the disruption caused by over 100 cabin crew members falling ill before their scheduled flights.
The civil aviation ministry requested a report from Air India Express on flight cancellations, urging swift issue resolution and adherence to passenger facilities per DGCA norms. The airline, undergoing a merger with AIX Connect and Vistara, faced allegations of mismanagement and unequal treatment of staff by the Air India Express Employees Union.
This development follows pilot issues at Vistara, leading to a temporary capacity reduction. As Tata Group consolidates its airline business, merging Air India Express and AIX Connect, passengers expressed frustration on social media over Air India Express flight cancellations.
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