Air India Express flight attendants called off their strike on May 9 night after the airline agreed to look into the issues raised by Air India Express flight attendants, PTI quoted sources as saying. It was reported as. According to reports, the airline has agreed to withdraw termination letters issued to 25 flight attendants.
The decision came after a mediation meeting between cabin crew representatives and airline representatives at the Office of the Chief Labor Commissioner (Central) in New Delhi earlier in the day.
After a two-and-a-half day standoff, the airline and crew reached a compromise, ending the suffering of hundreds of passengers. Hundreds of flights have been canceled since the night of May 7 after some flight attendants reported feeling unwell during protests over alleged mismanagement.
On Thursday, the airline issued termination notices to about 25 striking flight attendants.
According to PTI, the Tata group-owned airline has canceled over 170 flights since Tuesday night amid the crisis.
The airline had set a deadline of 4pm Thursday for other protesting flight attendants to return to work.
The dismissal letter accused the inciting flight attendant of causing embarrassment, reputational damage and financial loss to the airline. The letter said the sudden sick leave taken by a large number of flight attendants was indicative of planned and coordinated absenteeism without justifiable excuse.
The airline said several flight attendants began feeling unwell on the evening of May 6, resulting in a shortage of flight attendants and „a number of flights“ having to be canceled at various airports.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has sought reports on flight cancellations and asked airlines to ensure facilities for passengers as per standards laid down by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
The ministry also asked the airline, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Air India, to resolve the issue „promptly“.