GUWAHATI: Air India Express has been forced to cancel approximately 70 flights and experience numerous delays after several cabin crew members reported sick on the night of May 7.
Reports suggest that the staff collectively called in sick as a form of protest against what they perceive as mismanagement by authorities at the Tata Group-owned airline. In response, Air India Express issued a statement urging guests scheduled to fly to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport.
Discontent among a segment of the low-cost carrier's cabin crew has been mounting for some time, especially since the commencement of the merger process between AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India) and Air India Express.
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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.