Crew’s 'Mass Sick Leave' led to cancellation of Over 80 Air India Express Flights

The civil aviation authorities are investigating the situation to determine the cause of this incident

Digital Desk: Over 80 Air India Express flights were cancelled due to a significant number of senior crew members taking mass sick leave. This sudden development arose as cabin crew members began reporting sick since Monday evening, leading to a shortage of staff and subsequent flight cancellations at various airports like Kochi, Calicut, and Bangalore. 

The civil aviation authorities are investigating the situation to determine the cause of this incident. Allegedly, the cancellations were a result of a protest by some Air India Express staff members against perceived mismanagement at the Tata Group-owned airline. 

Passengers expressed frustration on social media over the abrupt flight cancellations, highlighting issues with delays and a lack of communication. Air India Express acknowledged the disruptions, attributing them to last-minute sick reports from cabin crew members. 

The airline offered affected passengers the option to reschedule their flights within the next 7 days or receive a full refund. This disruption in Air India Express operations follows a period of discontent among cabin crew members, particularly concerning the merger process involving AIX Connect and the airline. 

DPAP chief Ghulam Nabi Azad, whose Delhi-Srinagar was also cancelled, said, “I was supposed to leave in the morning. But I am now leaving on an IndiGo flight after sitting here for 3–4 hours. If the flights were cancelled, they should have informed us in the morning itself. Why did they fool everyone? Air India should be shut down. Air India’s basic culture is bad; nothing will become of it.”

The incident coincides with broader challenges in the aviation industry, as seen with Vistara's recent pilot issues, prompting Tata Group to restructure its airline business by merging Air India Express and AIX Connect, along with Vistara.