Air India Express, owned by Tata Group, has terminated the employment of 30 cabin crew members who engaged in mass sick leave without prior notice. This action resulted in the cancellation of over 100 flights and affected approximately 15,000 passengers. The termination notices were issued promptly on Wednesday night following the disruptive events.

The Regional Labour Commissioner, Ashok Perumalla, has called for a meeting today in Delhi between the airline management and the protesting crew members to address the situation. The termination notice cited a pre-mediated and concerted abstention from work without justification, which violated both applicable laws and the airline's service rules.

According to the notice, the crew members were rostered for a flight on Tuesday but informed the scheduling team at the last moment that they were unwell. Simultaneously, a significant number of other cabin crew members also reported sick, indicating a coordinated effort to disrupt operations. Consequently, numerous flights had to be canceled, causing inconvenience to passengers.

The terminated employees were informed that they would no longer be considered employees and would lose access to company benefits. Air India Express CEO Aloke Singh announced a curtailment of flight services until May 13 due to the cabin crew crisis, attributing disruptions to crew unavailability.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has requested a detailed report from the airline regarding flight delays and cancellations and urged swift action to address the crisis. Earlier, on May 3, the Regional Labour Commissioner criticized the airline for mismanagement and violation of labor laws, suggesting the need for a high-level committee to address employee grievances.

Flight cancellations occurred from Tuesday night to Wednesday, leading to chaos at several airports. Passengers expressed frustration over the lack of prior notification. The airline subsequently arranged alternative flights for affected passengers and released a revised flight schedule.

These developments occur amidst ongoing discontent among cabin crew members, particularly with the merger process of AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India) with Air India Express. In December 2023, the airline received a show cause notice from the Union Labour Ministry for alleged violations related to disputes between management and cabin crew members, including issues with layover accommodations.