Why Air India Express Cancelled So Many Flights In One Go?

Passengers impacted by Air India Express flight cancellations will be offered a full refund or complimentary rescheduling to another date.

Air India Express Flight Cancellations: The crisis has again hit the Tata Group airline after Air India Express cancelled more than 70 domestic and international flights on Wednesday.  A total of total 82 domestic and international flights have been cancelled so far. According to the airlines, the flights were cancelled due to the shortage of cabin crew as they went on a 'mass sick leave'.  

Reason For Mass Flight Cancellations

The reason for the mass flight cancellations is allegedly because of the protest of the senior crew members of the Air India Express airlines. According to the reports, the cabin crew members are protesting against the mismanagement of the airlines after the merger with Tata Group. This major flight disruption has taken place after a union of the airline's cabin crew said last month that the airline is not being managed properly and the staff is not being treated equally. Some media reports suggest that the staff members are being offered lower job positions despite clearing interviews. Another big reason for the protest is that the key aspects of the compensation package of the crew members have been changed.
Notably, the Air India Express Employees Union (AIXEU) is a registered union which is said tp represent around 300 senior cabin crew members. The union had also alleged that mismanagement of the affairs in the airlines has affected the morale of the employees.

What did Air India Express say? 

As reported by the ANI, an Air India Express 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.”
“We sincerely apologise to our guests for this unexpected disruption and emphasise that this situation does not reflect the standard of service we strive to provide. Guests impacted by cancellations will be offered a full refund or complimentary rescheduling to another date. Guests flying with us today are requested to check if their flight is affected, before heading to the airport,” the spokesperson added. 
Many passengers complained on social media platforms on Wednesday. Responding to a passenger on X platform, the Air India informed that the flight was cancelled “due to operational reasons”.