"300 Flight Attendants Call in Sick Together and Go Silent"... Customer Complaints Explode Amid Mass Flight Cancellations

Indian Low-Cost Airline Flight Attendants Take Collective Sick Leave
Discontent with Company Treatment Leads to Turning Off Smartphones
Wage and Treatment Complaints Spread After Tata Acquisition of State-Owned Airline
86 Flights Canceled in Two Days

Air India Express photo [Photo by Air India Express]

At a low-cost airline in India, over 300 flight attendants dissatisfied with the company collectively took sick leave and turned off their smartphones, causing a wave of cancellations of domestic and international flights. Customers and netizens have strongly criticized the situation, demanding the "mass dismissal of the flight attendants who took collective sick leave."

On the 8th, local media including the Times of India reported that more than 86 international and domestic flights of Air India Express were massively canceled from the 7th to the 8th (local time) after the airline's crew members went on a large-scale 'sick leave.' Starting Monday evening, several flight attendants began reporting illness, and due to insufficient cabin crew, numerous flights were canceled at several airports including Kochi, Kozhikode (formerly Calicut), and Bangalore, spreading the situation further. Aviation authorities are investigating the issue to determine the cause of the sudden incident. Air India Express stated in a press release, "One of the cabin crew members reported being ill, causing flight delays or cancellations," and added, "We are working to understand the situation while minimizing inconvenience to customers." They also sincerely apologized to customers and said, "Full refunds or rescheduling options will be provided to customers."

Air India Express is a low-cost airline operated as a subsidiary of Air India. In December 2022, Tata Group, one of India's largest conglomerates, fully acquired the shares of AirAsia India, which it had invested in alongside AirAsia, merging the route networks of Air India Express and AirAsia India. Air India is a state-owned airline in India, and as employees shifted from a state-owned enterprise to a private company through mergers and route consolidations, dissatisfaction grew over wages, treatment, and promotions. Although the grievances were directed at the owner, Tata Group, the fallout was passed on to customers trying to use the airline.

Promotional photo of Air India Express showcasing a family-like company atmosphere
[Photo by Air India Express]

The Air India Express Employees Union (AIXEU) sent a letter to the chairman of Air India, claiming, "The airline's management is not being properly conducted, and there is a lack of fairness in employee treatment," and "Poor handling of operations has lowered employee morale." They particularly pointed out, "Since the Tata acquisition, employee anxiety and dissatisfaction have increased," and criticized the lack of job security guarantees, salary maintenance, and respect for seniority and experience.

Customers expressed their dissatisfaction on social media regarding the sudden flight cancellations. One netizen said, "I was disappointed with Air India Express's service. My flight was scheduled from Bangalore to Delhi at 11:30 PM, but upon arrival at the airport, the crew informed me of a 2-hour delay. No message about the delay was communicated." Another netizen commented, "They should just be collectively fired. These people still have a government bureaucratic mindset," adding, "Tata is trying to save a sinking ship, but they are not cooperating. Despite receiving higher pay compared to other jobs, they are greedy and do not consider national interests. May God save them." Another netizen said, "Tata needs to remove the fools. The labor culture that destroys the organization must be eliminated."