Air India saves the day; will operate flights on 20 routes for Air India Express

Air India has stepped in to help Air India Express as it faces cancellation of 74 of its flights because of an ongoing protest by a section of its cabin crew. Air India will run flights on 20 of its subsidiary’s routes.

“We will be operating 283 flights today. We have mobilised all resources and Air India will support us by operating on 20 of our routes. However, 85 of our flights stand cancelled and we urge our guests booked to fly with us to check if their flight is affected by the disruption before heading to the airport,” the airline said in a press release on Thursday.

“If their flight is cancelled, 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,” it added.

On Wednesday, the Air India Express took strict disciplinary action and handed out termination letters to some of the protesting employees.

The Tata-group airline has sacked more than 25 senior cabin crew members following the mass sick leave by over a hundred senior cabin crew.

The termination letters were emailed to employees on Wednesday night stating the move pointed to a pre-meditated and concerted abstention from work without a justifiable cause.

The letter alleged that the protesting members of causing reputational damage and monetary loss to the brand, reported Indian Express.

The airline has given a deadline of 4pm Thursday to remaining crew members to join the work or face termination.

However, it is not clear yet whether the airline will reinstate the sacked cabin crew or not. Meanwhile, Senior management of Air India Express carrier are in talks with protesting employees to discourage them from extending their sick leaves.