Air India Express, a budget airline under the Tata Group, has been hit by disruptions since Tuesday night as more than 200 cabin crew members went into a strike by calling in sick. This disruption comes barely a month after another Tata airline Vistara, faced similar issues due to protesting pilots.
The reason behind these strikes is discontent among cabin crew members regarding recent changes in the HR policies. The airline has recently shifted from a seniority-based promotion system to a merit-based one. This transition and ongoing recruitment of new cabin crew, has raised concerns among existing staff members about their career advancement opportunities. The Air India Express Union has claimed that there is a decrease in take-home pay as well after the recent allowance changes implemented after the merger.
Dissatisfied with these changes more than 200 crew members have called in sick since Tuesday night. This has led to the cancellation of more than 80 flights, causing considerable inconvenience to the passengers. Acknowledging the situation Air India is attempting to understand the reason behind the surge in crew illness. To ease the difficulties faced by the passengers Air India Expressed has also offered full refunds or rescheduling options for the cancelled flights. They have also advised passengers to verify their flight status before heading to the airport.
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Similar incidents were observed when Vistara merged with Air India. The pilots went on a protest due to the new pay structure introduced after the merger, which was perceived as less favourable than their previous contracts.
These incidents have highlighted the inherent complexities involved in airline mergers, particularly when it comes to staff integration. The Tata Group is currently in the process of consolidating its airline holding. Air India Express is slated to merge with AIX Connect ( formerly AirAsia India) to create a single-budget airline under the Air India Express brand.
