AI Express cancels over 90 flights on cabin crew woes
New Delhi/Kochi: Air India Express has cancelled more than 90 flights since Tuesday night with a section of senior cabin crew reporting sick to protest against alleged mismanagement at the Tata Group-owned airline, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at various airports in the country.
Scores of flights have also been delayed and the airline’s passengers, mostly scheduled to travel to the Gulf nations, protested at airports in Kerala against flight cancellations as many of them were informed only after the security checks.
The civil aviation ministry on Wednesday sought a report from Air India Express on the flight cancellations and also asked the airline to resolve the issues promptly.
The ministry has asked the aviation firm to resolve issues promptly and ensure facilities to passengers as per DGCA norms.
Earlier reports arrived that flight operations at the airline have been disrupted since last night following a section of cabin crew reported sick to duty at the last minute.
“While we are engaging with the crew to understand the reasons behind these occurrences, our teams are actively addressing this issue to minimise any inconvenience caused to our guests as a result,” the spokesperson had added.
The customers impacted by cancellations will be offered a full refund or complimentary rescheduling to another date, the spokesperson said.
Adding more, the airline also confirmed that few senior crew members switched off their mobile phones ahead of flight operations, citing health issues.
“Guests flying with us today are requested to check if their flight is affected, before heading to the airport,” he added.
Meanwhile, Congress and the CPI in Kerala sought urgent intervention by the Centre to solve the problem.
“Many people heading to the Middle East face the risk of losing their employment since they will be unable to return on time,” Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan wrote to Union Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia.
