Air India Express has cancelled around 70 and delayed many flights as several cabin crew members reported sick last night. According to the reports, the staff called in sick together to protest against the mismanagement by authorities at the Tata Group-owned airline.
“Guests flying with us today are requested to check if their flight is affected, before heading to the airport,” said Air India Express.
Discontent has been growing among a segment of the low-cost carrier’s cabin crew for a while, particularly since the commencement of the merger process between AIX Connect, formerly AirAsia India, and itself.
Talking about the situation, an Air India spokesperson said, “A section of our cabin crew reported sick at the last minute, starting last night, resulting in flight delays and cancellations. While we are engaging with the crew to understand the reasons behind these occurrences, our teams are actively addressing this issue to minimise any inconvenience caused to our guests as a result.”
Late last month, a union representing a segment of the Air India Express cabin crew claimed that the airline is mismanaged and that employees are not treated equally.
The Air India Express Employees Union, a recognised union that claims to represent around 300 cabin crew personnel, most of whom are seniors, has also stated that mishandling of affairs has deeply affected staff morale.
On Wednesday, several travellers took to social media to protest the abrupt flight cancellations.
In response to the widespread discontent from the passengers, Air India express said, “We sincerely apologise to our guests for this unexpected disruption and emphasise that this situation does not reflect the standard of service we strive to provide. Guests impacted by cancellations will be offered a full refund or complimentary rescheduling to another date.”
This incident comes a month after Tata Group’s other airline, Vistara, faced pilot shortages, which forced it to cut down the carrier’s flying capacity by 10 percent or around 25-30 flights daily.
As part of consolidating its airline business, Tata Group is merging Air India Express and AIX Connect, as well as Vistara with Air India.