Scores of cabin crew members at Air India Express have voiced their concerns regarding the decision to implement room sharing during layovers. The crew contends that this move presents challenges in obtaining uninterrupted rest before flight duty, while the airline has stated that room sharing is consistent with the market practices followed by many other carriers.
Air India Express’ cabin crew members were previously provided individual rooms at five-star or four-star hotels during layovers. The recent decision now involves sharing one room between two cabin crew members. This adjustment comes as part of the ongoing merger process between Air India Express and AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India), both owned by the Tata Group.
Currently, Air India Express and AIX Connect together have more than 5,500 employees and around 1,800 cabin crew members.
Multiple grievances
According to the sources, the grievances raised by the cabin crew members extend beyond room sharing, with concerns about the curtailment of service contracts and dissatisfaction with the assessment process at the airline. Numerous crew members have reportedly written to the airline management to address these issues.
As per the email sent by a cabin crew member to senior officials of Air India Express, room sharing creates difficulties in obtaining sufficient rest before operating a flight. The email also claims that many cabin crew members’ contracts have been reduced from five years to one year, contributing to an unpleasant work atmosphere.
What did the airline’s spokesperson say?
In response to queries about the steps being taken to address these concerns, an airline spokesperson cited the ongoing integration of AIX Connect and the alignment of practices across the two carriers. The spokesperson stated that room sharing is in line with the market practice followed by many other airlines in India and the region.
“As a part of the ongoing integration between AIX Connect ( formerly AirAsia India) and Air India Express, the policies and practices across the two entities are being aligned. This includes crew members sharing rooms on layovers. This is consistent with the market practice followed by many other airlines in India and the region,” the spokesperson told PTI.
‘Proactively integrating industry best practices’
Further, the spokesperson said the airline has a dedicated and open internal communication platforms and a culture that encourages and solicits opinions to better inform all decisions.
“Understandably, some crew members have expressed a differing view with regard to the standardisation of this consolidated policy.
“We remain committed to listening to and engaging with all stakeholders on such matters in the course of our large-scale transformation and growth, which ultimately affords all our employees with much greater prospects and benefits, all things considered,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson further emphasised that the airline is proactively integrating industry best practices to align employee benefits with market standards. The company has streamlined the structure, salaries, and benefits for cabin crew members across the entire group, concurrently offering avenues for them to augment their earnings through improved performance and heightened customer satisfaction, the spokesperson added.