Air India Express Strike Ends As Cabin Crew Concerns Addressed

The strike by Air India Express cabin crew was brought to an end after the airline agreed to address the issues raised by them, as reported by news agency PTI citing sources.

It was reported by PTI that the airline has agreed to rescind termination letters issued to 25 cabin crew.

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Air India Express Strike Resolved

After two and a half days of stalemate, a middle ground was reached on Thursday by the airline and the crew, bringing an end to the ordeal for hundreds of flyers who had faced cancellations and delays since Tuesday night due to the protest by a section of cabin crew.

The issues raised by the protesting crew members included concerns about the merger with AIX Connect (formerly Air Asia), issues related to room sharing, lack of proper support, revised salary structure, and alleged differential treatment of experienced crew members.

In response to the sudden shortage of cabin crew affecting flights, the airline issued an apology and assured passengers of refunds or alternative flight bookings. Air India Express decided to curtail flights until May 13 while bringing in Air India's services on 20 of its routes to manage the situation.

In a revised statement on Thursday, the airline stated, "We will be operating 283 flights today. All resources have been mobilized and Air India will support us by operating on 20 of our routes. However, 85 of our flights stand cancelled."

The civil aviation ministry sought a report from Air India Express regarding the flight cancellations and the termination of cabin crew members who reported sick during the protest. Following a meeting between the Air India Express union and the company management on Thursday, both sides agreed to cooperate to resolve the issues.

The cabin crew members who were terminated are now ready to rejoin duty immediately, and the management has expressed readiness to revoke the termination of those affected.