Air India Express has sacked at least 30 crew members who were among the hundreds who suddenly called in sick on Wednesday in a protest against company policies, forcing the airline to cancel more than 150 flights over two days.
The budget airline based in Kochi, Kerala, said 85 flights were cancelled on Thursday, after at least 70 were grounded the previous day when 300 crew members failed to show up for work and went incommunicado.
The company is run by a division of Air India, the former national airline that the Indian government sold to the Tata Group conglomerate in 2022.
It operates more than 2,500 flights a week across 31 domestic and 14 international airports.
Affected international services include flights to Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dammam and Muscat.
The airline said it was operating 292 flights on Thursday with the help of Air India.
“We have mobilised all resources and Air India will support us by operating on 20 of our routes," a spokesman said.
"However, 85 of our flights stand cancelled and we urge guests booked to fly with us to check if their flight is affected by the disruption before heading to the airport."
The airline sent letters of termination to at least 30 staff late on Wednesday, citing “a premeditated and concerted abstention from work without any justifiable reason".
"A large number of flights had to be cancelled thereby disrupting the entire schedule, which caused tremendous inconvenience to the company's esteemed passengers,” the letter read.
The airline also said the crew’s actions were “subversive of public interest” and had “caused embarrassment, severe reputational damage and serious monetary loss to the company”.
Some of those still employed told The National they have been protesting, for more than a year, over disparities in pay, promotions and workload as a result of Tata's plans to merge AIX Connect, a budget airline formerly known as AirAsia, with Air India Express.
They said the termination notices had "added fuel to the fire" and were against the law because no prior notice was given.
“They asked us to come for a meeting yesterday but the moment the call was cut, the crew started receiving termination letters," said one crew member who has been working with the airline for 19 years.
The crew said their salaries had been cut by 20 per cent and benefits such as housing allowance cancelled.
“The housing rent allowance, travel allowance and uniform kit allowance have been removed,” another crew member said. "We used to have a make-up kit allowance as the company prescribed certain brands, that too is removed.
“The regulatory body says it is mandatory that crew rest for eight hours uninterrupted prior to flight. But we are put on another flight within 12 hours."
Crew members said they had written a letter listing their grievances last month to Natarajan Chandrasekaran, the chairman of Air India, but to no avail.
“If our health is compromised, who will compensate us for it?" they wrote. "It has been one year that we have been writing to the management. [The] crew is exhausted with extensive working procedures."
The Air India Express Employees Union is trying to have sacked crew members reinstated, its president KK Vijayakumar said.
“This is against the law," he said. "It is our duty to protect their employment. This is our concern and we have already intervened and spoken to the management to restore their employment.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
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Essentials
The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Windhoek, with a combination of Emirates and Air Namibia, cost from US$790 (Dh2,902) via Johannesburg.
The trip
A 10-day self-drive in Namibia staying at a combination of the safari camps mentioned – Okonjima AfriCat, Little Kulala, Desert Rhino/Damaraland, Ongava – costs from $7,000 (Dh25,711) per person, including car hire (Toyota 4x4 or similar), but excluding international flights, with The Luxury Safari Company.
When to go
The cooler winter months, from June to September, are best, especially for game viewing.
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The biog
Favourite film: Motorcycle Dairies, Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, Kagemusha
Favourite book: One Hundred Years of Solitude
Holiday destination: Sri Lanka
First car: VW Golf
Proudest achievement: Building Robotics Labs at Khalifa University and King’s College London, Daughters
Driverless cars or drones: Driverless Cars
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (PA) Group 1 | US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) Listed | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) Conditions | $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m
8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,200m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
