Air India Express flight cancellations leave Kerala passengers high and dry

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Hundreds of passengers boarding Air India Express flights from three major airports in the state were left stranded due to sudden cancellation of flights due to staff protest on Wednesday morning. As many as 12 flights have been cancelled, affecting travel to Sharjah, Abu Dabhi, Dubai, Muscat, Bahrain, etc.

Many of them missed connecting flights from other airports due to these cancellations. Passengers on the Thiruvananthapuram to Sharjah flight learned about the cancellation only after waiting for boarding at the security gate.

Passengers expressed anguish over the sudden change in plans and lack of response from Air India Express management to arrange replacement flights. Among those affected are those who face expiry of their visas, job interviews, etc. Some of them explored tickets on other airlines for double the price.

Anoop Govind, a finance professional, complained on social media that his parents would miss the international connecting flight from Bangalore after the flight from Thiruvananthapuram was canceled.
Air India Express only offered a full refund or rescheduled the flight within 7 days.

“Some of our cabin crew called in sick at the last minute, starting last night, leading to flight delays and cancellations. As we speak with the crew to understand the reasons for These events, our teams are actively addressing this issue to minimize any inconvenience caused to our customers as a result.

We sincerely apologize to our customers for this unexpected disruption and emphasize that this situation does not reflect the level of service we strive to provide. Customers affected by cancellations will be offered a full refund or free rescheduling to another date. Passengers traveling with us today are requested to check whether their flight is affected before traveling to the airport,” Air India Express spokesperson.

Operations of nearly 80 international and domestic flights were affected from various airports as around 300 cabin crew members called in sick, in protest, at the last minute.