Following the end of the strike that led to significant flight disruptions, Air India Express reported a gradual improvement in operations on Friday, as more cabin crew members resumed duty. The strike, initiated by a segment of the cabin crew since Tuesday night, resulted in over 170 flight cancellations before being called off on Thursday evening. The airline also retracted termination notices issued to 25 striking cabin crew members.
The Tata Group airline, known for its daily operation of approximately 380 flights, had to scale back its services due to the strike. An official mentioned that normalcy is anticipated within the next two days.
Cabin Crew Call Off Strike
On Thursday, the Air India Express cabin crew decided to end their strike, with the airline agreeing to reinstate 25 terminated staff. The strike, which began with some cabin crew members reporting sick from Tuesday night, was a protest against alleged mismanagement within the airline. This led to the cancellation of over 170 flights, affecting numerous passengers across different airports.
The decision to end the strike and withdraw termination letters was reached during a conciliation meeting between cabin crew representatives and airline management at the Office of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) in the national capital on Thursday.
The five-hour-long meeting involved representatives from the Air India Express Employees Union (AIXEU) and airline management. The union is affiliated with the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), a constituent of the RSS.
Both parties will convene to discuss the issues further, with another meeting scheduled for 28 May.
After extensive discussions and persuasion from the Conciliation Officer and Chief Labour Commissioner, the union representatives agreed that "all cabin crew members who reported sick would return to duty with a fitness certificate immediately," according to a document signed by union and airline representatives.
On Thursday, the budget carrier cancelled 85 flights, approximately 23 per cent of its total operational capacity, due to cabin crew shortages, operating only 283 flights. To mitigate disruptions, Air India is utilising flights on 20 routes of Air India Express, which has truncated services until 13 May.
On Wednesday, the civil aviation ministry requested a report from Air India Express regarding the flight cancellations and urged the airline to swiftly resolve the issues.
Why The Strike Happened
There has been discontent among some Air India Express staff following the initiation of the merger process with AIX Connect, formerly AirAsia India. Some cabin crew members have alleged mismanagement and unequal treatment of staff. A conciliation process is underway under the Industrial Disputes Act after a union representing a segment of Air India Express cabin crew filed a complaint with the labour department last year.
Issues such as accommodation sharing, inadequate support, revised salary structures and alleged differential treatment of experienced Air India Express crew members have been highlighted by the striking cabin crew.
In a message to the airline's staff, Air India Express CEO Aloke Singh stated that since the previous evening, over 100 cabin crew members reported sick before their scheduled flight duty, "at the last minute, severely disrupting our operations."
The disruptions have had a cascading effect across the network, necessitating us to adjust schedules over the next few days. We had to take this step due to crew unavailability and to restore schedules, Singh remarked.
The Air India Express cabin crew strike occurred a month after Tata Group's full-service carrier Vistara faced pilot issues, resulting in a temporary 10 per cent reduction in capacity, or 25-30 daily flights.
As part of its airline business consolidation, Tata Group is merging Air India Express and AIX Connect, as well as Vistara with Air India.
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