Air India Express flights cancelled: Thousands stranded at four Kerala airports

In what could be a major hardship for passengers, a section of Air India Express’ senior crew members called in sick en masse on the night of May 7, forcing the airline to cancel or delay further of 78 international and domestic flights in the country. Kerala is perhaps the state worst hit by the service disruption as the airline is the state’s largest player in the international sector.

Thousands of passengers were left stranded at Kerala’s four international airports after flights were canceled or delayed.

At Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, four flights, including domestic and international, were canceled till 10 am on May 8. The canceled flights include Thiruvananthapuram-Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram-Sharjah, Thiruvananthapuram-Abu Dhabi, Thiruvananthapuram and Dubai.

The Civil Aviation Ministry is monitoring the situation after the airline grounded its flights following a sudden shortage of crew members.

An official statement released by the airline said that some cabin crew called in sick at the last minute, starting on the evening of May 7, leading to flight delays and cancellations. “While we speak with crew to understand the reasons for these events, our teams are actively addressing this issue to minimize any inconvenience caused to our guests,” the statement said.

While apologizing to passengers for the disruption, the airline said passengers affected by the cancellations would be offered a full refund or free rescheduling to another date.

Passengers traveling with the airline on May 8 have been asked to check whether their flight is affected before traveling to the airport, the statement added.

Passenger demonstration

More than 400 passengers at Kannur airport were left stranded due to flight disruptions. The sudden cancellations triggered protests by passengers in Kannur.

Flights from Kannur to Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Muscat were among those cancelled.

Many passengers who arrived at Kannur airport early in the morning found themselves without an explanation from authorities, heightening concerns, especially for those whose work visas were expiring.

(with input from Kannur office)