New Delhi: Air India Express has agreed to restore normal airline operations after hours of detailed deliberations between the crew and management members at the conciliation meeting held by the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central)here on Thursday, an official statement said.
The meeting was held under the direction of the Labour Ministry.
During the meeting, the airline management also agreed to reinstate 25 cabin crew terminated on May 7 and 8 for reporting sick as a concerted action, the statement said.
Meanwhile, the airline urged passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airport.
The airline said If a flight is cancelled or delayed beyond three hours, passengers may seek a full refund or reschedule their journey to a later date without any fees.
In the meeting, the management said, “It will review the cases of these cabin crew as per service regulations.”
“After detailed discussions, deliberations, persuasion, and on appeal of the Conciliation Officer and Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), the representatives of the union (members of the cabin crew) agreed that all cabin crew members who reported sick will report for duty with a fitness certificate immediately,” the statement said.
The management representatives also assured that all issues raised by the cabin crew before the management and during the conciliation proceedings would be looked into and resolved.
The conciliation proceeding has been adjourned and fixed for May 28 at 3 pm.
Following the meeting, Air India Express said, “We are pleased with the progress made at the conciliation meeting and welcome our cabin crew colleagues back to work.”
"This will help us swiftly restore our flight schedule and fulfill our commitments to our guests,” it added.
Apologising for the inconvenience caused to passengers due to these unintended disruptions, the airline said, “It is not in keeping with our usual service standards, and we will review it internally to ensure accountability.”
"As we gradually bring our operations back to normalcy, we urge our booked guests to check their flight status before heading to the airport. If a flight is cancelled or delayed beyond 3 hours, they may opt for a full refund or reschedule to a later date without any fees via Tia on WhatsApp at (+91 6360012345) or on airindiaexpress.com,” it added."