Air India Express gradually restoring flights after cabin crew strike

Air India Express is gradually resuming its flights and stabilizing its network after a recent disruption caused by a cabin crew strike. The strike, which began on Tuesday night, led to the cancellation of numerous flights, but was suspended on Thursday following a conciliation meeting chaired by the chief labor commissioner in Delhi. The meeting resulted in the airline rescinding termination notices for 25 cabin crew members.

According to an official, the airline is anticipating a return to full normalcy by Tuesday morning, despite canceling over 20 flights on Sunday. The cabin crew union has confirmed that all members who had reported sick have rejoined their duties by May 11, 2024. However, a software glitch in the company’s scheduling system is still displaying staff as sick, despite their return to work.

The strike was called in protest against the airline’s alleged mismanagement, with crew members expressing concerns over new employment terms and a lack of equality in staff treatment. The situation is the latest in a series of disruptions faced by the Tata Group’s aviation ventures, following a similar incident involving Vistara in April.

Air India Express operates approximately 380 daily services and conducts over 2,500 weekly flights across 31 domestic and 14 international airports. The airline has apologized for any inconvenience caused by the disruptions and is working to swiftly restore its flight schedule. Passengers are advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport as the airline gradually returns to normalcy.