Air India Express has decided to reinstate all the cabin crew members who were previously sacked, with immediate effect. This decision follows a meeting between the Air India Express management and the protesting crew, which was convened by the Chief Labour Commissioner at 2 pm on Thursday.
The move comes shortly after the Tata Group-owned airline announced the termination of services for 25 cabin crew members who had taken mass sick leave without prior notice. This sudden action resulted in the cancellation of over 100 flights since Tuesday night, causing inconvenience to passengers.
Numerous flights faced delays or cancellations, leaving passengers stranded at airports as the senior crew of Air India Express simultaneously took sick leave without any advance notice.
In response, the airline issued a revised flight schedule and advised passengers to check if their flights were affected by the disruption before heading to the airport.
"We are also accommodating affected guests on alternative flights, including those of Group airlines, to ensure they reach their destinations at the earliest," the airline stated in a released statement.
On Thursday, Air India Express announced the cancellation of 85 flights, affecting nearly 20% of its daily scheduled flights due to a shortage of cabin crew. Additionally, the airline revealed plans to operate 283 flights on Thursday with support from Air India on 20 routes.
