Operations at Air India Express, under Tata ownership, began to recover on Friday following a recent strike that disrupted services. The strike, initiated by a faction of cabin crew on Tuesday, resulted in the cancellation of more than 170 flights.

However, by Thursday evening, the strike was called off, leading to the reinstatement of the 30 cabin crew members who had taken unauthorized leave. The airline, which typically operates 380 flights daily, faced constraints during the strike but anticipates returning to normal operations within the next couple of days.

An official stated that the returning cabin crew members are in the process of obtaining required fitness certificates to resume their duties. Operations are expected to see improvement, especially in the evening when most international flights are scheduled, due to the increased availability of cabin crew.

Air India Express operates a combination of 120 international and 260 domestic flights daily, though the exact number may fluctuate. The airline had to cancel 85 flights on Thursday, constituting about 23% of its usual capacity.

Following the strike's resolution, the airline announced plans to restore its flight schedule and expressed regret for any inconvenience caused to passengers.

With over 6,000 employees, including 2,000 cabin crew members, Air India Express is navigating its operations amidst the ongoing merger process with AIX Connect, formerly AirAsia India.