New Delhi, July 25 (Aviation Daily) — Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu announced on Thursday that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is conducting a thorough investigation into the cabin crew strike incident at Air India Express in May. The strike had led to extensive flight cancellations, prompting concerns over compliance with aviation regulations.
Responding to queries in the Lok Sabha regarding the disruptions, Minister Naidu assured that the ministry was vigilant to prevent flight cancellations and delays. He underscored the importance of adhering to Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) to ensure passenger rights, including compensation for disruptions.
“We acknowledge the challenges faced by Air India Express due to internal issues related to the merger with AirAsia India, which culminated in a mass strike on May 7,” Minister Naidu stated during the Question Hour.
He elaborated that the ministry intervened promptly, facilitating discussions between the airline management and the striking crew members to resolve the dispute. Additionally, technical challenges such as a software glitch compounded the operational disruptions, requiring manual data entry until normalcy was restored.
Highlighting the ministry’s regulatory stance, Minister Naidu mentioned a recent penalty of Rs 10 lakh imposed on Air India for regulatory violations, emphasizing that passenger welfare remains paramount.
“The DGCA is currently investigating the Air India Express strike incident. Any findings of non-compliance with regulations will result in appropriate penalties to ensure passenger satisfaction,” Naidu affirmed.
On May 7, approximately 200 cabin crew members of Air India Express protested alleged mismanagement, leading to widespread flight cancellations. Following a conciliation meeting convened by the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), the strike was called off on May 9, and the airline management withdrew termination letters issued to some crew members.
