Kerala: Several Air India Express flights to GCC countries remain canceled today: 25 cabin crew members terminates
In Kerala, many Air India Express flights to the GCC countries remain cancelled today as well, disrupting the travel plans of many.
Flights from Kuwait, Ras Al Khaimah, Doha, Muscat and Sharjah to Kannur International Airport were cancelled by the airline. Flight services from the airport to Sharjah, Muscat, Dammam and Abu Dhabi also cancelled.
Airport authorities have asked air travellers to first affirm their flight status before embarking on their journey. The early morning flight from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport to Abu Dhabi was also cancelled by the airline.
Air India Express flights early from Abu Dhabi and Doha landed at the Cochin International Airport this morning.
Air India Express terminates 25 cabin crew members following mass sick leave
Air India Express has terminated at least 25 cabin crew members, a day after hundreds of employees went on sick leave, causing disruptions to flight operations.
According to sources, the management made the decision to terminate cabin crew members who took sick leave between Tuesday and Wednesday due to their unprofessional behaviour, which inconvenienced thousands of passengers.
The mass sick leave was viewed as a pre-meditated and coordinated abstention from work without any justifiable reason, violating Air India Express Limited employee service rules.
The disruption caused by this incident affected more than 95 flights of Air India Express between Tuesday evening and Wednesday, impacting over 10,000 passengers.
Air India Express CEO, Aloke Singh, announced plans to reduce flight operations in the coming days.
“This act is certainly not representative of the 2,000-odd cabin crew colleagues in the company who continue to respond to the call of duty and serve our guests with dedication and pride. I am thankful to all who are standing by the airline in this hour of crisis,” he said in a statement.
Singh invited staff for discussions to address any concerns they may have and assured that all communication channels are open.
Sources within the Ministry of Civil Aviation revealed that cancellations and delays began on Tuesday night, continuing into Wednesday morning, which led to flight operations being curtailed due to a sudden shortage of crew members. Some senior crew members allegedly switched off their mobile phones just before flight operations, citing health issues.
