May 10th 2024.
Air India Express faced a significant setback on Friday as they were forced to cancel around 75 flights due to a shortage of cabin crew. However, the good news is that operations are expected to return to normal by Sunday. This comes after a section of the cabin crew called off their strike on Thursday evening, which had caused major disruptions in operations.
According to an official, the cancellation of flights and the compensation to passengers is estimated to cause a loss of around Rs 30 crore. The strike, which began on Tuesday night, resulted in the cancellation of more than 170 flights. However, the strike was called off on Thursday evening and the airline also withdrew termination letters that were issued to 25 of the striking cabin crew.
The official, who requested anonymity, stated that around 75 flights have been cancelled for Friday and the number is expected to be less than 100 on Thursday. The number of flight cancellations is expected to be around 45-50 on Saturday. The airline had announced on Thursday that they have cancelled 85 flights, which accounts for approximately 23% of their total daily capacity. This comes as the Tata Group airline, which operates around 380 flights daily, has reduced operations in order to minimize disruptions. Since the strike began on Tuesday night, more than 260 flights have been cancelled.
On average, the airline operates 120 international flights and 260 domestic services daily, with fewer flights on certain days. Another official stated that the cabin crew who were on strike are returning to work and the airline is providing them with support for medical checkups and securing fitness certificates, which are required before they can resume their duties. The official also mentioned that most international flights are scheduled in the evening and operations are expected to improve from Friday onward as more cabin crew become available.
The officials assured that operations are being gradually restored and normalcy is expected to return by Sunday. After the strike was called off on Thursday, the airline issued a statement apologizing to passengers who were impacted by the flight disruptions and stating their efforts to swiftly restore the flight schedule. The strike was organized by cabin crew members who were protesting against alleged mismanagement at the airline and unequal treatment of staff.
Air India Express, which is currently in the process of merging with AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India), has a total of 6,000 employees, including over 2,000 cabin crew members. The airline has assured that they are taking necessary steps to address the issues and ensure smooth operations in the future.
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