Air India Flight Cancellations Lead To Protests At Airports, Airline Responds

air india flight cancellations lead to protests at airports, airline responds

Air India passengers faced chaos and inconvenience as the airline cancelled more than 80 flights and several others were delayed after a section of cabin crew members reported sick to protest against the alleged mismanagement by the airline.The protest, led to a shortage of cabin crew, causing disruptions across several airports, including Kochi, Calicut, and Bangalore.

The sudden cancellations have left many passengers frustrated, with several taking to social media to express their grievances. Videos of passengers gathered at Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram airports have gone viral on social media. The videos show passengers in heated arguments with airport staff as they claimed their flights were cancelled last minute.

Some passengers claimed that they were informed about the cancellations while they were waiting to board their flights. Passengers affected by the flight cancellations have been offered options for compensation, including a full refund or complimentary rescheduling to another date.

In response to the situation, an Air India Express spokesperson said that the airline is actively engaging with the protesting cabin crew to understand their concerns. The spokesperson also apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers and assured that efforts are underway to minimise disruptions.

“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,” an Air India Express spokesperson said.

The airline, which operates 360 daily flights as part of its summer schedule, has been struggling with discontent among some cabin crew members, particularly since the initiation of the merger process with AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India). As per reports, over 200 cabin crew members called in sick to protest against the airlines.

This incident comes after, Vistara, another Tata Group-owned airline, experiencing pilot shortages and temporarily reducing flight capacity last month. The Tata Group is in the process of consolidating its airline businesses, including merging Air India Express and AIX Connect, as well as Vistara with Air India.

(With agency inputs)