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Air India Express to cancel 40 flights daily until May 13
As per the latest development, the challenges in the Tata Group's airline merger continue to persist without any relief. As reported earlier, the airline faced substantial disruptions when official sources confirmed the cancellations of more than 90 flights since Tuesday night.
This occurred due to a widespread sick leave among cabin crew members, affecting both international and domestic flights. Reports add that approximately 300 senior cabin crew members unexpectedly reported sick and were missing from action; they were unreachable too as they turned off their mobile phones. Now, reports add that the budget carrier will be cancelling 40 flights daily until May 13th. This reduction, prompted by a surge in sick reports from cabin crew, echoes similar disruptions experienced last month by Vistara during its merger with Air India. Over 300 cabin crew members from Air India Express called in sick, which led to the cancellation of more than 90 flights by Wednesday evening. Latest reports suggest that termination notices have been issued to those involved. Airline sources further added that they are making all efforts to minimise international disruptions and that their overseas flight might see less than 20% of the cancellations.
With current flights operating at over 80% capacity, around 13,000 passengers have been affected by these cancellations. Passengers scheduled to travel have been advised to verify the status of their flights beforehand due to the dynamic nature of crew availability, which may result in further cancellations beyond those already announced.
A source from the airline added, "Guests may visit the 'Flight Status' section on our website for real-time information. If their flight is canceled, or delayed beyond 3 hours, they may opt for a full refund or reschedule to a later date without any fees on Tia on WhatsApp (+91 6360012345) or on airindiaexpress.com."
To mitigate inconvenience, affected passengers are offered full refunds or rescheduling options without additional fees. However, the peak summer cancellations exacerbate existing travel constraints, as other carriers face operational challenges. The Ministry of Aviation has requested a report from Air India Express and stressed the importance of prompt issue resolution and adherence to regulatory standards.
This occurred due to a widespread sick leave among cabin crew members, affecting both international and domestic flights. Reports add that approximately 300 senior cabin crew members unexpectedly reported sick and were missing from action; they were unreachable too as they turned off their mobile phones. Now, reports add that the budget carrier will be cancelling 40 flights daily until May 13th. This reduction, prompted by a surge in sick reports from cabin crew, echoes similar disruptions experienced last month by Vistara during its merger with Air India. Over 300 cabin crew members from Air India Express called in sick, which led to the cancellation of more than 90 flights by Wednesday evening. Latest reports suggest that termination notices have been issued to those involved. Airline sources further added that they are making all efforts to minimise international disruptions and that their overseas flight might see less than 20% of the cancellations.
With current flights operating at over 80% capacity, around 13,000 passengers have been affected by these cancellations. Passengers scheduled to travel have been advised to verify the status of their flights beforehand due to the dynamic nature of crew availability, which may result in further cancellations beyond those already announced.
A source from the airline added, "Guests may visit the 'Flight Status' section on our website for real-time information. If their flight is canceled, or delayed beyond 3 hours, they may opt for a full refund or reschedule to a later date without any fees on Tia on WhatsApp (+91 6360012345) or on airindiaexpress.com."
To mitigate inconvenience, affected passengers are offered full refunds or rescheduling options without additional fees. However, the peak summer cancellations exacerbate existing travel constraints, as other carriers face operational challenges. The Ministry of Aviation has requested a report from Air India Express and stressed the importance of prompt issue resolution and adherence to regulatory standards.
Source: Times of India
