78 Air India Express flights have had to be canceled in the last 12 hours after cabin crew members went on “collective sick leave”. According to official sources, around 300 senior cabin crew members reported sick at the last moment and switched off their mobile phones, leading to cancellation of international and domestic flights. Sources said that Air India Express management is currently trying to reach the crew.
According to information, the employees have taken steps like taking sick leave together to protest the changes being made in the airline. In 2023, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation approved the merger of Air India Express and Tata Group’s budget airline AIX Connect (formerly Air Asia India).
Sources said that whatever changes were being made by the airline, the senior staff, including the cabin crew, did not agree.
According to the information about the canceled flights, domestic and international flights were canceled due to cabin crew members reporting illness at the last moment. In which about a dozen flights have been canceled from four international airports in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode and Kannur. It also included international flights to countries in the Middle East.
An Air India Express spokesperson said that a section of our cabin crew has gone on sick leave since Tuesday evening. Due to which many flights have been delayed, many flights have been cancelled. The crew is being interviewed to understand the reasons behind these incidents. So that this matter can be resolved. Our teams are proactively addressing the issue to minimize inconvenience to passengers.
An Air India Express spokesperson further said that we apologize to the passengers for the inconvenience caused. Current conditions do not reflect our standards. Passengers who have been inconvenienced due to flight cancellations are offered a full refund or a new flight on a later date.
We kindly request passengers that if they have an Air India Express flight today, please check whether the flight is affected or not before leaving home.