Air India Express Cabin Crew Strike & Aftermath: Everything You Need to Know

In the past two days, hell has broken loose at Air India Express. It has become the second airline under the TATA Group to witness a rebellion from its staff members. On May 8, a significant number of cabin crew members reported sick and were unavailable for duty, which disrupted the airline’s operations.

In this article, we will take a look at all the aspects of this strike. Why did the crew go on strike? Was there a possibility to avoid it? Was the management unaware of this? What actions has the airline taken and are they justifiable? Stay tuned till the end.

Why did Air India Express Cabin Crew Go on Strike?

This is the most important question to ask. Air India Express has 2,600 cabin crew members. Out of these, around 300 have reported sick overnight, disrupting the airline’s schedule. But why did such a large number of employees report sick?

These employees belong to a union named Air India Express Employees Union (AIXEU). An important thing to note here is that, unlike other pilot unions, this one is registered under the Government of India. Hence, do not mistake it as an ordinary union. However, Air India Express has said that it does recognize any employee union formed by its staff members.

These cabin crew members have accused the airline of favoritism in selection. In a two-page letter to TATA Group Chairman N Chandrasekaran and CEO Aloke Singh, they highlighted concerns like growing unrest and dissatisfaction among employees. Earlier, the airline had committed to aspects regarding job security, wages, maintenance, and honoring seniority. But now, it seems to be deviating from its own promises.

Further, they claimed that anyone who chooses to raise their voice against these false practices is silenced. Their voices are suppressed on the dissenting platform of the airline.

Most of the cabin crew members in this union are experienced and have been with Air India Express for a long time. They have alleged that during internal job postings, the airline is doing favoritism. They prefer external and new candidates instead of experienced employees. This has struck hard on employees’ morale. For many months, they have been writing to the management seeking help, but to no avail. Finally, they decided to stick together and go on an unplanned strike.

Damage Caused to Airline

Of course, when 300 employees of your airline go on a strike without prior notice, it is expected to disrupt the operations. Overnight, the airline was forced to cancel around 90 flights. Whenever anyone in aviation sneezes, passengers are the first victim.

On May 8, the airline had to cancel around 90 flights. Across various airports in India, thousands of passengers were stranded. The majority of the network of Air India Express is based internationally. Hence, so many international flights were canceled. Airports in Kerala were the biggest victims, followed by other airports like Bengaluru, Delhi, etc.

In the latter part of the day, CEO Aloke Singh announced that temporarily, the airline is looking to cut flights. Similar to Vistara, it will be operating a limited schedule for the next few weeks.

Today, on May 9, it is already prepared. It has pre-actively canceled around 85 flights. It will be operating 292 flights today. On 20 of the LCC routes, parent airline Air India will be operating to mitigate the demand. Through its social media portals, the airline has shared communication details for affected passengers.

Labour Commission Intervenes

Remember, in the initial part of this article, I said that don’t take this union lightly since it is a registered one. Soon after the disruption of operations started, the Regional Labour Commissioner from Delhi wrote a letter to Air India Express management. The RLC said that he is aware of the concerns of employees and terms them as genuine.

He said that earlier, they held conciliation proceedings but the airline failed to send any representative. He said that employees are making genuine allegations about the airline and they should be resolved after proper negotiations.

On May 9, a meeting will be held between the Regional Labour Commissioner and Air India Express management. The airline will send its Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO) to the meeting. It will be interesting to see the outcomes of these meetings.

Other than the Labour Commission, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) had also asked the airline to submit daily reports regarding flight cancellations. It asked the airline to adhere to DGCA norms while managing the affected passengers. Furthermore, AIX has been asked to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

Air India Express Terminates Cabin Crew Members

In any other part of the world, an airline would have sat down with its employees and discussed their grievances and solutions, similar to what Vistara did with its pilots just weeks ago. But this is India and specifically Indian airlines. The airline followed the footpath of another orange-themed airline to take strong action against its own staff members.

In a bold move, the airline terminated contracts of 25-30 crew members, who were part of the strike. In the termination letter, the airline clearly mentioned that it was a planned strike, and hence, action is being taken. The brand reputation of Air India Express has been affected a lot.

Other employees, who are continuing the strike have been told to return to duties before 4 PM of May 9. If failed to do so, they will also be terminated. A cabin crew said that this is being done to instill a fear factor in those employees who are raising their voices. Many people on social media are lauding this decision of the airline saying that such strictness is required to make sure that employees remain within their limits.

Is This Action Justifiable?

Indian airlines are known to exploit their employees. There is no doubt about that. Their reaction to new FDTL policies for pilots is the best way to clear any doubt.

Since the inception of AirAsia India and Air India Express merger, the cabin crew have been flagging various issues. Earlier, they accused the management of measuring their heights using uncalibrated equipment. Using such equipment, they were falsely terminating the employees. Other than termination, they were also reducing employee contracts based on false data.

The legal metrology department in Kochi seized this equipment, which means that the airline was engaging in false practices. Secondly, the Regional Labour Commissioner from Delhi is openly coming out to support them. Last but not least, the employees have been flagging these concerns for a long time.

Hence, if you say that the airline was not aware of this treatment of employees, I would take it with a pinch of salt. However, the employees could have done it better, similar to what AIESL technicians planned recently. They wrote a letter to the airline saying that if their demands were not met, they would go on strike on a particular date. If the AIX Cabin crew would have done this, maybe the results could have been different.

In my honest opinion, this action is far from being justifiable. Yes, operations were disrupted and passengers were affected. But what about the employee concerns? If the airline management had listened to them in advance, there would have been no need for such a strike. Today, a meeting is planned between the Cabin crew and the airline management. Let us wait for any outcome.

Conclusion

Due to the non-fulfillment of their demands, several cabin crew members of Air India Express went on strike, which resulted in the disruption of the airline’s schedule. It received notice from the Ministry of Civil Aviation to submit daily updates about flight cancellations. Regional Labour Commissioner has intervened saying that the demands are genuine. In response to the strikes, the airline has terminated the contract of 25-30 cabin crew members and given a final warning to others to join duties or face action. A meeting between airline management and cabin crew is scheduled today.

What do you think about this action from Air India Express? Is it too much? Discuss in the comment section.