Air India Express has decided to postpone the inquiry process against approximately 200 cabin crew members who reported sick in May, causing operational challenges for the airline, sources revealed on Tuesday.

The decision was made during a meeting facilitated by the Central Labour Commissioner in New Delhi as part of ongoing conciliation efforts.

During the meeting, representatives of the Air India Express Employees Union (AIXEU) raised concerns about the issuance of charge sheets to the cabin crew members in June and requested their withdrawal, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Following the conciliation officer’s advice, the airline management representatives agreed to defer the inquiry process associated with the charge sheets.

AIXEU, affiliated with the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) and representing a segment of the cabin crew, had lodged a complaint last year, triggering conciliation proceedings under the Industrial Disputes Act.

Girish Chandra Arya, All India Secretary of BMS, informed PTI that the charge sheets will be put on hold, and no inquiry proceedings will proceed pending the conciliation process.

According to Arya, during conciliation proceedings, the airline management is expected to refrain from taking any coercive actions. He also mentioned that various other issues, such as hotel accommodations and crew scheduling, will be addressed through bilateral discussions between management and crew members.

The next conciliation meeting is scheduled for August 8.

Meanwhile, on Monday, a delegation comprising BMS and AIXEU representatives met with Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu to discuss several matters. The union proposed a tri-party meeting involving union representatives, management, and civil aviation ministry officials to address Air India Express cabin crew issues.

Conciliation proceedings are ongoing under labor laws to address concerns raised by the union, including room sharing, inadequate support, and revised salary structures.

On May 9, a strike by cabin crew was called off following a meeting convened by the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) in New Delhi between union representatives and airline management. The strike, protesting alleged mismanagement at the Tata Group-owned airline, had caused significant disruptions in flight operations.

With inputs from PTI