Following a brief disruption in its flight schedule, Air India Express has successfully restored normal operations as all cabin crew members who reported sick have rejoined duty as of May 11, 2024. The airline’s scheduling software glitch, which erroneously indicated staff sick leave, led to the cancellation of approximately 20 flights on Sunday. However, the situation is expected to return to full normalcy by Tuesday morning, according to the airline’s official statement.
The recent turmoil stemmed from a strike by cabin crew members, alleging mismanagement by the airline, resulting in the cancellation of numerous flights since Tuesday. Fortunately, the strike was resolved after a conciliation meeting mediated by the chief labour commissioner in Delhi on Thursday. Consequently, Air India Express withdrew termination letters issued to 25 cabin crew members, and the workforce resumed their duties promptly.
Expressing satisfaction with the outcome of the conciliation meeting, Air India Express issued a statement welcoming back its cabin crew colleagues and apologizing for any inconvenience caused to passengers. The airline assured its commitment to swiftly restoring the flight schedule and urged passengers to verify their flight status before traveling to the airport, as operations gradually return to normalcy.
In a separate incident in April, Vistara, a joint venture of Tata Sons Private Limited and Singapore Airlines, faced disruptions in its flight services due to crew unavailability, leading to scaled-down operations following reported pilot sickness.
Air India Express, operating over 2,500 flights weekly across domestic and international airports, maintains a fleet of over 70 aircraft, including Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s, solidifying its position as a key player in the aviation industry.
