An 18-month stalemate between Air India Express cabin crew and management culminated in disruptions, with around 80 flights facing cancellations and long delays. Over 200 cabin crew calling in sick has led to the shortage, impacting operations since Tuesday night.
The ministry has asked the Tata-group airline to resolve issues promptly, according to news agency PTI. The ministry has further advised the airline to ensure facilities to passengers as per DGCA norms.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has requested a detailed report from Air India Express concerning flight cancellations and urged swift resolution of the issues,” stated a Ministry official. “The airline has been reminded to adhere to passenger service standards set by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.”
In response to last-minute sick reports from a portion of our cabin crew starting Tuesday night, there have been disruptions in flight schedules, explained an airline spokesperson in a press release. While we are actively engaging with our crew to ascertain the reasons, our teams are working diligently to minimize inconvenience for our passengers.
Flight delays and cancellations commenced Tuesday, following an 18-month deadlock between the cabin crew and airline management. The dissatisfaction among senior cabin crew of Air India Express stems from changes introduced post-merger with Air Asia India, forming the low-cost arm of the Air India Group post-privatization in 2022. Previously government-owned, Air India Express was transferred to Tata Sons alongside Air India, while AirAsia India was already under Tata ownership.
