Labor Commissioner Criticizes Tata and Accuses Air India Express of Mismanagement in Crisis

Sources at Air India Express have mentioned that the airline does not recognize any workers’ union. On Tuesday night, 300 senior cabin crew members reported sick at the last minute and turned off their cellphones, resulting in the cancellation of over 90 flights and leaving many passengers stranded. The Air India Express Employees Union (AIXEU) wrote to the management, pointing out a deviation from commitments after the TATA group took over the airline in January 2022. According to sources at Air India Express, the airline does not acknowledge AIXEU or any other workers’ union as legitimate.

The AIXEU has raised concerns about the new merit-based assessment system for employees, accusing the airline of mismanagement and unequal treatment of staff. Mr. Perumulla of AIXEU highlighted the absence of responsible decision-makers from the airline’s management at conciliation proceedings and called for corrective measures. Expressing regret for the disruption caused to passengers, a spokesperson for Air India Express stated that efforts were being made to understand the reasons behind the crew’s actions and mitigate the inconvenience. Passengers affected by flight cancellations would be offered a full refund or the option to reschedule their travel dates.

The spokesperson emphasized that the airline’s service standards do not reflect the current situation and expressed apologies to the impacted guests.