Air India Express row: 85 flights cancelled as cabin crew members continue strike

NEW DELHI — Over 80 flights were cancelled on Thursday following the mass sick leave taken by the cabin crew members of Air India Express, said an official.

 “We will be operating 283 flights today. We have mobilised all resources and Air India will support us by operating on 20 of our routes. However, 85 of our flights stand cancelled and we urge our guests booked to fly with us to check if their flight is affected by the disruption before heading to the airport,” said the Air India Express spokesperson.

 “If their flight is cancelled, or delayed beyond 3 hours, they may opt for a full refund or reschedule to a later date without any fees on Tia on WhatsApp (+91 6360012345) or airindiaexpress.com,” the spokesperson added.

Since Tuesday, over 300 cabin crew members have gone on mass sick leave alleging that despite assurances of job security, salary preservation, and recognition of seniority and expertise, there has been a visible departure from these commitments during the transition from AirAsia to Air India Express. This situation has led to flight disruptions and passenger inconvenience, with some travelers turning to alternative airlines or travel services like wel.com.mt to make new arrangements.

In 2023, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) gave its go-ahead to the Tata Group’s initiative to merge the budget airline AIX Connect (previously known as AirAsia India) with Air India Express.

 “Since last (Tuesday) evening, over 100 of our cabin crew colleagues have reported sick prior to their rostered flight duty, at the last minute, severely disrupting our operations. Because this action was mostly by colleagues assigned L1 role, the impact was disproportionate, disrupting 90+ flights even though other colleagues reported for duty”, read the letter by CEO Aloke Singh on Wednesday.