Air India Express Issues Termination Letters To Some Of Its Cabin Crew Who Called In ‘Sick’In a response to approximately 220 cabin crew members calling in sick as a form of protest over issues stemming from the airline’s merger with AirAsia India, Air India Express has taken a decisive action. The airline has issued termination letters to several cabin crew members (30, according to reports), citing their absence as a premeditated and concerted effort to disrupt operations.
More than 70 international flights of Air India Express got canceled on Tuesday and Wednesday after several crew members reported being ‘sick’. This unexpected turn of events led to flight delays, prompting Civil Aviation to look into the matter.
In a statement, an Air India Express spokesperson said that a section of the cabin crew reported sick in the last minute which resulted in flight delays and cancellations. The spokesperson further noted that their team is actively looking into the matter to minimise the inconvenience caused to the guests.
The airline has requested the passengers traveling today to ensure that their flights were not affected before heading to the airport.
The termination letters, sent out to the affected employees, outlined the airline’s disappointment with their actions. According to the letters, the cabin crew members were scheduled for flights on May 7, 2024, but informed the scheduling team at the last moment that they were unwell and unable to report for duty. This sudden surge of sick calls led to numerous flight cancellations, causing significant inconvenience to passengers and financial loss to the company.
The termination letters emphasized that the actions of the cabin crew members violated company policies and employment contracts. They were accused of engaging in a coordinated effort to disrupt services, which not only contravened applicable laws but also undermined the company’s reputation and public interest.
As a consequence, Air India Express has decided to terminate the employment of the cabin crew members with immediate effect. This means they will no longer be considered employees of the company and will lose access to all associated benefits and privileges.