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Kerala: Air India Express flights to various destinations from Kerala airports were cancelled for the second consecutive day, causing inconvenience to passengers once again. Passengers at Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kannur airports faced disappointment when flights to Gulf countries were cancelled at the last minute for the second consecutive day. The sudden cancellation of flights caused disappointment among passengers who said they were dependent on the airline’s assurances for their plans.
A passenger told reporters at Kozhikode’s Karipur airport, “I was assured by Air India Express yesterday that I could travel to Qatar on Thursday. But they did not keep their promise. I was told at the last moment that my flight has been cancelled again for the second consecutive day,”
Another passenger told TV channels at the Thiruvananthapuram airport that he was given a ticket for today when his flight to the Gulf was cancelled yesterday. He said, “When I reached here (Thiruvananthapuram airport) today, the airline told me that the flight was cancelled again. If I do not reach my workplace by tonight, my visa will expire and I will lose my job.”
Another passenger at the Thiruvananthapuram airport said AI Express asked them to book tickets on another airline but they were unable to do so. “Why can’t they help us get tickets on another airline? They should pay us for it,” he said.
Air India Express has issued termination letters to around 25 crew members who reported sick, forcing it to cancel over 90 flights. The Tata Group-owned airline has given an ultimatum to the rest of the crew members who reported sick to report for duty by 4 pm on Thursday or face termination, sources said.
Sources said Air India Express cancelled at least 60 flights on Thursday due to unavailability of crew members. Passengers faced a lot of inconvenience due to the mass leave of a section of crew members.
