Air India Express Resolves Strike, Reinstates 25 Crew Members

In a significant development, Air India Express cabin crew members have decided to call off their strike, following a successful conciliation meeting with the airline management. This decision comes after a tumultuous period that saw over 170 flights cancelled, affecting thousands of passengers across various airports. The strike was initiated by a section of the cabin crew on Tuesday night, in protest against what they described as mismanagement within the airline.

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The resolution was reached during a nearly five-hour-long meeting at the Office of the Chief Labour Commissioner Central in New Delhi. The meeting saw representatives from both the Air India Express Employees Union (AIXEU), which is affiliated with the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), and the airline's management come together to find a middle ground.

Girish Chandra Arya, All India Secretary of BMS, confirmed that the termination of 25 cabin crew members had been withdrawn. He also mentioned that both parties would reconvene on May 28 to further discuss and address ongoing issues.

As part of the agreement, Air India Express has committed to swiftly restoring its flight schedule to normalcy. The airline also agreed to reinstate the 25 cabin crew members who were terminated on May 7 and 8, 2024, for reporting sick in what was deemed a concerted action. These crew members will be reviewed as per service regulations.

The document signed at the end of the meeting highlighted that all cabin crew members who had reported sick are to report back for duty immediately with a fitness certificate. Furthermore, it was agreed that all concerns raised by the cabin crew would be thoroughly looked into and resolved.

Air India Express issued a statement expressing satisfaction with the progress made during the conciliation meeting and extended an apology to passengers inconvenienced by the disruptions. The airline emphasized its commitment to reviewing internal processes to ensure such disruptions do not recur.

Earlier in the day, it was reported that Air India Express had to cancel approximately 23 percent of its total operational capacity, equating to 85 flights, due to a shortage of cabin crew. To mitigate further disruptions, Air India operated flights on 20 routes of Air India Express, which had curtailed services until May 13.

The civil aviation ministry had sought a report from Air India Express regarding the flight cancellations and urged for a swift resolution to the issues. Discontent among staff has been growing, particularly after the initiation of a merger process with AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India), leading to allegations of mismanagement and unequal treatment among staff.

Passengers at various airports, including Kerala and West Bengal, experienced unexpected cancellations for two consecutive days. Air India Express CEO Aloke Singh addressed the situation in a message to staff, highlighting the severe operational disruptions caused by over 100 cabin crew members reporting sick at the last minute.

This strike came just a month after Tata Group's full-service carrier Vistara faced similar issues with its pilots, leading to a temporary reduction in capacity. Tata Group is currently in the process of consolidating its airline business, which includes merging Air India Express and AIX Connect, as well as Vistara with Air India.