AIR INDIA EXPRESS
Air India Express: 85 flights cancelled; Air India to support on 20 routes
If a passenger's flight is cancelled or delayed more than 3 hours, they have the option to either receive a full refund on the flight or reschedule it for a later date without any additional fees
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Air India Express Aircraft (Photo: Reuters/Almaas Masood)
Air India Express on Thursday announced that it has cancelled 85 of its flights today and was making "every possible effort to minimise the inconvenience".
In a statement, the airline's spokesperson said that it would be operating 283 flights today and Air India would support it on some routes.
"We have mobilised all resources and Air India will support us by operating on 20 of our routes," they said.
"However, 85 of our flights stand cancelled and we urge our guests booked to fly with us to check if their flight is affected by the disruption before heading to the airport."
Refund and rescheduling options for passengers
The airline also said that if a passenger's flight is cancelled or delayed beyond 3 hours, they may opt for a full refund or reschedule to a later date without any fees.
This can be done on ) or on the airline's website.
"While we will continue to engage with our cabin crew colleagues with a commitment to address any concern, we are taking appropriate steps against certain individuals as their actions have caused grave inconvenience to thousands of our guests," they said.
Termination of Air India Express employees
This comes after the airline late on Wednesday removed around 30 employees for going on a mass "sick leave".
The airline has also given other members an ultimatum to either return to work by 4 pm on Thursday or face termination.
Part of the termination letter began circulating on social media on Wednesday evening, which read, "You informed the scheduling team at the last moment that you were unwell and, accordingly, reporting sick. It is noted that at or around the same time, an overwhelming number of other cabin crew members have also reported sick and have not reported for their duties. This clearly points to a pre-meditated and concerted abstention from work without any justifiable reason."
"Your act of reporting sick for work amounts to concerted action with a common understanding to not operate the flight and to disrupt the services of the company. This is not only in violation of the applicable laws but also violates the Air India Express Limited Employees' service rules as are applicable to you," the company said in the termination letter.
100+ Air India Express flights cancelled
Air India Express cancelled more than 90 flights on Wednesday due to the unavailability of cabin crew, significantly disrupting operations. On Thursday, another 85 flights were cancelled by the airlines. Due to lack of staff, many more cancellations are likely to follow.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the airlines apologised for the cancellations and urged passengers to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport.
#ImportantUpdate— Air India Express (@AirIndiaX) May 8, 2024
We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused by unprecedented flight delays and cancellations. While we are working hard to minimise disruptions, please check your flight status before heading to the airport. If your flight is impacted, please reach out… pic.twitter.com/JySbD3trb0
Civil aviation ministry intervenes
The civil aviation ministry on Wednesday sought a report from Air India Express on the flight cancellations and asked the airline to resolve the issues swiftly.
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