MoCA Presses Air India Express for Answers After Crew Members' 'Mass Sick Leave', Passengers Stranded

In response to recent disruptions in flight schedules and passenger inconvenience, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has issued a stern call to Air India Express, demanding a comprehensive report on the causes behind the spate of flight cancellations. The decision to summon Air India Express comes in the wake of numerous flight cancellations that have left passengers stranded and frustrated. For the unversed, over 80 international and domestic flights of Air India Express were cancelled after the senior crew members of the airline went on mass ‘sick leave’.

MoCA has called for a report from Air India Express regarding cancellation of flights and asked them to resolve issues promptly. Also, they have been advised to ensure facilities to passengers as per DGCA norms. pic.twitter.com/sVcs2uLeI9

— ANI (@ANI) May 8, 2024

According to sources, the Civil Aviation authorities are looking into the issue to understand the cause of the sudden incident. Meanwhile, reports suggest that the flights were cancelled due to shortage of Air India Express staff members as a section of them are reporting sick to protest against alleged mismanagement at the Tata Group-owned airline. Releasing a statement, the Air India Express said, “A section of our cabin crew has reported sick last minute, starting last night, resulting in flight delays and cancellations. 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.”

Also Read: Air India Express Cancels Over 70 Flights After Crew Members Go On 'Mass Sick Leave'

“We sincerely apologise to our guests…those impacted will be offered a full refund or rescheduling. Guests flying us today are requested to check if the flight is affected, before heading to the airport.,” the statement added. A union representing a section of the airlines’ cabin crew, Air India Express Employees Union also wrote to the Chairman of Air India Natarajan Chandrashekharan, talking about the grievances of employees and raised concerns regarding the current situation at Air India Express Limited, particularly following its acquisition by TATA. Many passengers took to social media on Wednesday complaining about the sudden cancellation of flights. Scores of flights have been cancelled at various airports including Kochi, Calicut, and Bangalore.