Air India Express Terminates 25 Cabin Crew Members Following Mass Sick Leave

Air India Express has taken action against at least 25 cabin crew members, terminating their employment a day after approximately 300 employees called in sick and remained unreachable, causing significant flight disruptions. The airline management is expected to extend the number of job terminations beyond the initial count, and a townhall meeting with cabin crew members is anticipated to address the situation today.

The low-cost carrier, a subsidiary of Air India under the ownership of the Tata group, has been facing protests from its employees regarding revised employment terms. Sources indicate that the cabin crew has raised concerns about the lack of fairness in staff treatment, alleging instances where some employees were offered lower job roles despite qualifying for senior positions in interviews. Additionally, modifications to the compensation package have been flagged by the crew.

Tata Group-owned Air India Express has announced the curtailment of flight services until May 13, following reports of senior crew members falling sick without notice. This unexpected absenteeism led to the cancellation of over 100 domestic and international flights, affecting approximately 15,000 passengers. Airline CEO Aloke Singh acknowledged the widespread disruptions, stating, “the disruptions have cascaded across the network, forcing us to curtail the schedules over the next few days.”

Singh further elaborated on the situation in a statement to airline staff, explaining that over 100 cabin crew colleagues reported sick abruptly, severely impacting operations. He emphasized the necessity of curtailing flight services to manage crew shortages and restore schedules amidst the turmoil.

These consecutive crises pose fresh challenges for the Tata group, coming shortly after disruptions experienced by its full-service carrier Vistara due to protests by pilots over changes in their pay packages.