Air India Express has made the decision to reinstate all sacked cabin crew members following a crucial meeting with the protesting crew. This decision, effective immediately, comes after intense negotiations facilitated by the Chief Labour Commissioner on Thursday afternoon.
This announcement follows the recent turmoil faced by the Tata Group-owned airline, as it grappled with the aftermath of mass sick leave taken by its senior cabin crew members. The abrupt sick leave led to the cancellation of over 100 flights since Tuesday night, leaving passengers stranded and flights delayed.
Earlier, in response to the unexpected sick leave, Air India Express had announced the termination of services for 30 cabin crew members involved in the mass absence. Additionally, the airline issued an ultimatum to the remaining crew members, demanding their return to duty by Thursday afternoon, failing which they too faced the risk of termination.
The disruptive series of events prompted the airline to release a revised flight schedule, urging passengers to verify the status of their flights before heading to the airport. Despite the challenges, Air India Express assured affected passengers of alternative arrangements, including accommodation on alternative flights operated by group airlines, to minimize travel disruptions.
Thursday witnessed a significant impact on the airline's operations, with the cancellation of 85 flights, affecting nearly 20 percent of its daily scheduled services. To mitigate the shortfall in cabin crew, Air India Express collaborated with Air India, enhancing its operational capacity on 20 routes to ensure minimal disruption to passenger travel plans.