Air India Express since Tuesday has canceled some 26 flights and delayed 81 due to last-minute sick calls by some cabin crew members who are protesting perceived “inequality” in their treatment compared to counterparts at AIX Connect, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Air India Express and AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India) are subsidiaries of the Tata Group-owned Air India, which is in the process of merging to create a unified low-cost airline

Air India Express and AIX Connect operate around 230 and 150 daily flights, respectively. Sources said Air India Express experienced a minimum of 26 flight cancellations and at least 81 flight delays starting Tuesday, as a group of cabin crew members took sick leave suddenly. "More cancellations and delays are expected during the day (Wednesday)," said a source.

An Air India Express spokesperson said: "A section of our cabin crew reported sick at the last minute, starting last night, resulting in flight delays and cancellations. While we are engaging with the crew to understand the reasons behind these occurrences, our teams are actively addressing this issue to minimise any inconvenience caused to our guests as a result."?

"We sincerely apologise to our guests for this unexpected disruption and emphasise that this situation does not reflect the standard of service we strive to provide. Guests impacted by cancellations will be offered a full refund or complimentary rescheduling to another date. Guests flying with us today are requested to check if their flight is affected, before heading to the airport," said the spokesperson.

Air India Express Employees Union (AIXEU), which represents a faction of the airline's cabin crew members, wrote a letter to Tata Group chairman N Chandrasekaran on April 26 to say: "There is a glaring lack of equality in the treatment of employees. Salaries, experience and merits are being disregarded, with internal job postings now being filled by candidates external to Air India Express, by passing qualified internal candidates."

The union said mismanagement has affected employee morale. It alleged that several allowances, previously included in their salary before the merger process commenced, have been eliminated. Despite the airline consistently posting profits, this has effectively resulted in salary reductions, the union pointed out.

The Tata Group has been grappling with significant operational challenges for several weeks, stemming from employee discontent at its airlines regarding new policies introduced as part of the merger.

Between March 31 and April 4, Vistara was forced to cancel more than 150 flights, reportedly due to a specific group of pilots calling in sick abruptly at the end of March to express dissatisfaction with the roster and the revised salary structure. As a result, Vistara had to reduce its flight schedule by 10 percent until May 24 to stabilize its operations, as announced by its chief executive Vinod Kannan on April 11.