1. Air India Express laid off cabin crew after mass sick leave, causing 86 flight cancellations.
2. Protest targets Tata Group for merging Air India Express with AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India).
3. Operational cutbacks extend until May 13 amid ongoing protests.
New Delhi, May 09: Air India Express initiated the layoff of cabin crew members following mass “sick leaves” on Wednesday, resulting in the cancellation of at least 86 flights and operational cutbacks until May 13.
The protest, directed against the Tata Group management, which owns Air India, focused on the merger of Air India Express with AIX Connect, formerly AirAsia India.
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Here are the latest developments:
- Termination letters were dispatched to approximately 25 employees who participated in the mass sick leave. About 327 senior crew members reported as “sick” shortly before their flights and became unreachable by phone.
- The termination letters emphasized that the significant number of participating crew members indicated a premeditated and concerted abstention from work without justifiable cause, constituting a violation of their employment contracts.
- The layoffs took effect immediately upon receipt of the termination letters.
- Flight cancellations persisted on Thursday, affecting over 70 services. CEO of Air India Express, Aloke Singh, noted that the strike did not represent the vast majority of cabin crew members who continued to fulfill their duties.
- Air India Express, a budget airline, became the second Tata Group-affiliated carrier to experience employee protests in recent months. Vistara, the joint venture with Singapore Airlines, faced similar flight cancellations due to crew unavailability last month. Subsequently, Vistara had to reduce operations after a mass sick call from pilots.
