Civil Aviation Ministry Seeks Report From Air India Express On Flight Cancellations

The authorities also cautioned the airline to make sure that all passengers are given the facilities as per the norms of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation

The carrier saw over 80 flight cancellations on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning ( Image Source :Air India Express Facebook )

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) called on Air India Express to submit a report explaining the mass flight cancellations recently. The aviation regulator sought clarification and resolution from the carrier regarding the related issues. 

Further, the authorities also cautioned the airline to make sure that all passengers are given the facilities as per the norms of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, reported PTI.

Civil aviation ministry asks Air India Express to resolve issues promptly amid flight cancellations

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 8, 2024

Notably, the carrier saw over 80 flight cancellations on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. The airline also reported several delays as certain cabin crew members took sick leave to allegedly protest against the mismanagement at the airline, the report stated citing sources.

Currently, the airline is in the midst of merging AIX Connect with itself and is set to operate around 360 daily flights in the summer schedule.

A spokesperson for the airline said that talks are being conducted with the crew members to better understand the reasoning behind their protests. The report cited sources and said that employees of the carrier have been unhappy with the management of the entity. 

Over 200 cabin crew members have reportedly called in sick to stage a protest for their grievances and this has caused cancellations of more than 80 flights since Tuesday night. 

The flight disruptions have happened at various airports such as Calicut, Bengaluru, Kochi, etc, the report said. 

Issuing an official statement, the spokesperson said, “A section of our cabin crew has reported sick at the last minute, starting last night, resulting in flight delays and cancellations. While we are engaging with the crew to understand the reasons behind these occurrences, our teams are actively addressing this issue to minimise any inconvenience caused to our guests as a result.”