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Air India Express, a budget airline owned by the Tata Group, has been forced to cancel over 70 flights on Wednesday due to a mass sick leave by its cabin crew members.
According to official sources, about 300 senior cabin crew members reported sick at the last minute and switched off their mobile phones, resulting in the cancellation of 79 international and domestic flights.
The Air India Express management is currently trying to reach out to the crew, who are protesting against the new employment terms at the airline.
A spokesperson for Air India Express said that a section of the cabin crew had reported sick at the last minute, starting the previous night, resulting in flight delays and cancellations.
The spokesperson added that the airline was engaging with the crew to understand the reasons behind these occurrences and that their teams were actively addressing the issue to minimize any inconvenience caused to passengers.
The spokesperson also apologized for the unexpected disruption and emphasized that this situation did not reflect the standard of service that the airline strives to provide.
Passengers impacted by the cancellations will be offered a full refund or complimentary rescheduling to another date, the airline said.
Several passengers took to social media to complain about the sudden cancellations of their flights, saying that they had no information about the cancellations.
Some passengers said that they had reached the airport when they were informed that their flights were canceled.
Air India Express said in response to one of the posts on social media that they apologized for any inconvenience and that the flight had been canceled due to operational reasons.
Last month, a union representing a section of the Air India Express cabin crew alleged that the airline was being mismanaged and there was a lack of equality in the treatment of the staff.
Air India Express Employees Union (AIXEU), a registered union, had also alleged that mismanagement of the affairs has affected the morale of the employees.
Source: Over 70 Air India Express Flights Cancelled As Crew Goes On "Mass Sick Leave"