Air India Express Cancels Five Kolkata Flights Amid Crew Crisis

Air India Express experienced a significant disruption in its flight schedule, leading to the cancellation of five flights from Kolkata on Friday. The affected routes included two flights to Hyderabad and one each to Chennai, Cochin, and Ayodhya. This move comes as the airline strives to return to normal operations after a cabin crew-related crisis that had impacted its services earlier in the week.

The cancellations were part of a larger issue that saw a total of 120 flights, both domestic and international, being cancelled across the country on Friday. This followed a strike by a section of the cabin crew that began on Tuesday night and was called off on Thursday. Despite the end of the strike, challenges in managing the crew's return to work led to continued disruptions.

An Air India Express spokesperson highlighted that, in addition to the cancellations, the airline managed to operate 246 flights to various destinations. Of these, Air India operated 20 flights, and Vistara operated two. The difficulties in immediately assigning returning cabin crew members to flights were attributed to technicalities in rostering processes.

Sources within the airline indicated that achieving full normalcy in operations is anticipated within one-and-a-half days. They also noted that additional time is required for medical check-ups of the cabin crew who are returning to work and for arranging the entire duty roster.

The sudden strike, which involved a mass sick leave by a section of the cabin crew starting Tuesday night, led to more than 170 flight cancellations before it was called off on Thursday evening. In response to the strike's conclusion, Air India Express withdrew termination letters that had been issued to 25 striking cabin crew members. The strike was initially prompted by grievances over alleged mismanagement within the airline.

This incident underscores the complexities airlines face in managing their operations and personnel, especially during periods of industrial action. As Air India Express works towards resuming its full schedule, passengers are advised to stay informed about their flight status and any potential changes.