Air India Express Chaos: Over 70 Flights Grounded as Cabin Crew Stage Mass Sick Leave

New Delhi/Pune, 8th May 2024: Over 70 Air India Express flights have been grounded due to a sudden wave of “mass sick leave” taken by cabin crew members, according to official sources.

A staggering total of 79 international and domestic flights were abruptly canceled after approximately 300 senior cabin crew members called in sick at the eleventh hour, rendering their mobile phones unreachable.

Sources reveal that the Air India Express management is currently in a scramble to establish contact with the absent crew members, who are reportedly protesting against new employment terms introduced at the Tata Group-owned airline.

The abrupt cancellations left numerous passengers bewildered and frustrated, with many taking to social media platforms to express their grievances. Complaints flooded in about the lack of prior notification regarding the flight cancellations.

Expressing their dismay, some passengers lamented arriving at the airport only to discover that their flights had been axed.

In response to the mounting complaints, Air India Express issued a statement apologizing for the inconvenience caused. “A section of our cabin crew reported sick at the last minute, starting last night, resulting in flight delays and cancellations. While we are engaging with the crew to understand the reasons behind these occurrences, our teams are actively addressing this issue to minimise any inconvenience caused to our guests as a result.

We sincerely apologise to our guests for this unexpected disruption and emphasise that this situation does not reflect the standard of service we strive to provide. Guests impacted by cancellations will be offered a full refund or complimentary rescheduling to another date.

Guests flying with us today are requested to check if their flight is affected, before heading to the airport.”

This recent episode follows last month’s allegations by a union representing a section of the Air India Express cabin crew. The union, known as the Air India Express Employees Union (AIXEU), accused the airline of mismanagement and unequal treatment of staff, further claiming that such issues have negatively impacted employee morale.