86 Air India Express flights canceled as crew goes on ‘collective sick leave’

New Delhi:

At least 86 Air India Express flights have been canceled after cabin crew members took “mass sick leave”, official sources said on Wednesday. International and domestic flights were canceled after around 300 cabin crew called in sick at the last minute and turned off their cell phones.

Air India Express management is currently trying to contact the crew, who are protesting against the new employment conditions at the Tata group-owned airline, sources said.

“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 guests as a result,” said an Air India Express spokesperson.

“We sincerely apologize to our guests for this unexpected disruption and emphasize that this situation does not reflect the level of service we strive to provide,” the spokesperson added.

Customers affected by the cancellations will be offered a full refund or a free reschedule to another date, the airline said.

Several passengers took to their social media accounts and complained about the sudden cancellations of their flights. They said they had “no information” about the cancellations.

A “very disappointed” X passenger said he arrived at the airport when he was informed his flight was canceled.

“We apologize for any inconvenience. Please be informed that your flight has been canceled due to operational reasons,” Air India Express said in response to his message.

Why Air India Express crew are protesting

According to sources, the crew of Air India Express, a subsidiary of Air India, alleged that there was a lack of equality in the treatment of staff after the merger with the Tata group.

They claim some staff were offered lower positions despite successful interviews.

The crew also claimed that key elements of the compensation program had been changed or removed and that airline management was silencing dissenting voices, sources said.

The airline is also in the process of merging AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India) with itself.

The crisis at Air India Express comes a month after Tata Group’s full-service carrier Vistara witnessed cancellations due to pilot issues.

Discontent was brewing among pilots at Vistara, which is in the process of merging with Air India, following the new contracts which raised concerns over the rosters of pilots flying flights and part of their salaries.