Air India Express Rescinds Termination of Employees, Signaling Breakthrough in Dispute

The airline cancelled over 170 flights between Wednesday and Thursday. The 300 crew members who had reported sick are expected to return to duty immediately. Conciliation proceedings took place at the Labour Commissioner’s office on Thursday, attended by representatives of the airline’s management and the Air India Express Employees Union. A document revealed that after detailed discussions, persuasion, and appeals from the Conciliation Officer and the Chief Labour Commissioner, the cabin crew members agreed to return to duty with a fitness certificate.

The airline management also agreed to reinstate the 25 cabin crew members who had been terminated. The Labour Commissioner’s office announced that the management assured that the issues raised by the cabin crew would be looked into and resolved. The airline then issued letters to the sacked employees, reinstating them with immediate effect. The reinstated employees were informed that their salary for the previous month would be adjusted against the salary payable for May.

The sudden cancellations of flights left hundreds of passengers stranded, causing inconvenience. The CEO of Air India Express stated that the number of flights being operated would be reduced over the next few days, but all cabin crew members were expected to return to work immediately, aiming to normalize services within a few days. The airline spokesperson expressed happiness with the progress made at the conciliation meeting and welcomed the cabin crew colleagues back at work. The airline had to cancel flights as 300 senior cabin crew members began reporting sick at the last minute, and it was revealed that 25 crew members had been terminated.

The causes of the crisis were said to be new employment terms, modifications in the compensation package, and allegations of a lack of equality in staff treatment. Passengers were urged to check their flight status before heading to the airport. If their flight was canceled or delayed beyond 3 hours, they could opt for a full refund or reschedule to a later date without any fees.