“Air India Express Reinstates Sacked Cabin Crew After Mass Sick Leave Incident”

In Short

• Air India Express sacks staffers over mass sick leave
• Airline agrees to reinstate all cabin crew immediately
• Over 100 Air India Express flights cancelled since Tuesday night

In a swift turn of events, Air India Express has decided to reinstate all cabin crew members who were previously terminated due to mass sick leave without prior notice.

The airline management reached this decision following a meeting with the protesting crew, convened by the Chief Labour Commissioner on Thursday afternoon.

The decision to reinstate the cabin crew comes in the wake of a tumultuous period for the airline, marked by disruptions caused by the sudden absence of a significant number of crew members.

The mass sick leave, taken without prior notice, resulted in the cancellation of over 100 flights since Tuesday night, leaving passengers stranded and flights delayed.

The situation escalated when Air India Express announced the termination of services for the 25 cabin crew members responsible for the mass sick leave.

However, the airline’s management subsequently reversed this decision after engaging with the protesting crew members in discussions facilitated by the Chief Labour Commissioner.

Following the reinstatement decision, Air India Express released a revised flight schedule and assured affected passengers that alternative arrangements would be made to minimize disruptions to their travel plans.

The airline also emphasized its commitment to ensuring that passengers reach their destinations at the earliest possible time.

Despite the reinstatement, the airline continues to face operational challenges, as evidenced by the cancellation of 85 flights on Thursday alone, impacting nearly 20 percent of its daily scheduled flights.

To mitigate the effects of the crew shortage, Air India Express announced collaboration with Air India to operate 283 flights on Thursday across 20 routes.

As Air India Express works to stabilize its operations and address the aftermath of the mass sick leave incident, the focus remains on restoring normalcy and providing reliable service to passengers amidst ongoing challenges in the aviation industry.