Air India sends termination letters to 25 members

New Delhi: Air India Express has sent termination letters to around 25 cabin crew members who called in sick, leading to the cancellation of over 90 flights, airline sources said on Thursday.

The Tata group-owned airline also issued an ultimatum to other cabin crew who called in sick to return to duty by 4 pm on Thursday or face dismissal, they added.

Air India Express also canceled at least 60 flights on Thursday due to non-availability of cabin crew, the sources said, adding that mass departures of some cabin crew caused immense inconvenience to passengers.

The airline has around 1,400 cabin crew members, including around 500 senior executives.

More than 200 cabin crew began calling in sick starting Tuesday evening to protest alleged mismanagement by the airline that led to the cancellation of more than 90 flights.

Services affected for the 2nd consecutive day

Air India Express passengers who were promised travel to various destinations from Kerala airports found themselves stranded on Thursday as their flights were unexpectedly canceled for the second consecutive day.

Travelers at Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kannur airports were left disappointed when flights to Gulf countries were canceled at the last minute for the second day in a row.

The sudden cancellation sparked frustration and caused inconvenience among passengers who were relying on the airline’s assurance for their travel plans.

“Air India Express assured me yesterday that I will be able to fly to Qatar on Thursday. But they didn’t keep their promise. I was told at the last moment that my flight was canceled again for the second consecutive day,” an aggrieved passenger told reporters at Karipur airport in Kozhikode.

Another passenger, who claimed his work visa would expire today, told a TV channel at Thiruvananthapuram airport that when his flight to the Gulf region was canceled yesterday, he was given a ticket to Today.

“When I arrived here (Thiruvananthapuram airport), the airline told me that the flight was cancelled. If I do not arrive at my workplace this evening, my visa will expire and I will lose my job,” he said.

Another passenger at Thiruvananthapuram airport said AI Express asked him to take a ticket on another airline, but he was unable to do so.

“Why can’t they help us get tickets on another airline? Let them charge us for this,” he said.

(The story is edited by Siasat News Office)