The civil aviation authorities are investigating an incident in which 70 national and domestic flights of Air India Express had to be cancelled from Tuesday night until Wednesday morning after a section of the cabin crew went on a mass ‘sick leave’.
The crisis unfolded after several cabin crew members started reporting sick on Monday evening, leading to numerous flight cancellations at various airports, including Kochi, Calicut, and Bangalore.
Passengers took to social media on Wednesday to express their frustration over the sudden cancellations. In response, Air India Express issued a statement apologizing to passengers for the disruptions and cancellations.
“A section of our cabin crew has 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 minimize any inconvenience caused to our guests. We sincerely apologize to our guests for this unexpected disruption and emphasize that this situation does not reflect the standard of service we strive to provide,” said an Air India Express spokesperson, as reported by ANI.
The company stated that guests impacted by cancellations would be offered a full refund or complimentary rescheduling to another date. It also advised passengers flying on Wednesday to check if their flight was affected before heading to the airport.
The mass ‘sick leave’ occurred amid allegations from a union representing a section of the Air India Express cabin crew that the airline was being mismanaged. According to the Air India Express Employees Union (AIXEU), discontent among the staff has affected morale. The AIXEU, claiming to represent around 300 cabin crew members, mostly seniors, also alleged unequal treatment of staff.
Discontent has been brewing among a section of the cabin crew at the low-cost carrier, particularly since the start of the merger process between AIX Connect, formerly AirAsia India, and Air India Express.
