“Air India Express Sacks 25 Crew Members Amid Mass ‘Sick Leave’ Protest”

Air India Express, owned by the Tata Group, has terminated the employment of 25 crew members who participated in a mass “sick leave” protest over the merger with AirAsia India. The protest resulted in the cancellation of 86 flights on Wednesday and 74 on Thursday, disrupting operations. The termination letters cited the crew’s concerted abstention from work without justification as the reason for dismissal. The airline accused the crew of causing inconvenience to passengers, embarrassment, reputational damage, and monetary loss. This move comes amidst ongoing protests by the cabin crew regarding the merger process, which they fear could result in job losses. The government has sought a report from the airline and advised prompt resolution of issues while ensuring passenger facilities. Flight disruptions are expected to continue, with the airline likely to scale down operations for passenger convenience, similar to Vistara’s response to crew unavailability in April.