Indian travelers believe that airlines and hotels have the most potential to counter environmental impacts of tourism, followed by travelers themselves and major sites and apps, according to a report by Booking.com.
09.05.2024 - 15:33 / skift.com / Bulbul Dhawan / Express
Air India’s low-cost subsidiary Air India Express canceled 85 flights on Thursday amid mass sick leave by cabin crew. The cancellations affected almost one-quarter of its entire flying program. In a statement, the airline said that it would operate 283 flights on Thursday.
“We have mobilized all resources and Air India will support us by operating on 20 of our routes,” the airline spokesperson said. The company has advised customers to check if their flight is affected before leaving for the airport.
“If their flight is canceled, or delayed beyond three hours, they may opt for a full refund or reschedule to a later date without any fees,” Air India Express said.
According to Indian media reports, the airline planned to cancel 40 flights every day until May 13. However, cabin crew have since withdrawn its protest as Air India Express has agreed to look into the matter, according to news agency PTI.
Starting Tuesday afternoon, reports suggested about 300 cabin crew members of the airline started calling in sick. The personnel also switched off their phones. This led to the cancellation of more than 90 Air India Express flights by Wednesday evening.
The cabin crew’s mass absence comes amid the merger of Air India Express with sister low-cost airline AIX Connect, previously known as AirAsia India.
Tata Sons, which owns the two airlines along with full-service carriers Vistara and Air India, is consolidating its airline business. As part of its strategy, the two budget carriers are being merged to operate as a single low-cost airline.
A section of the cabin crew staff has alleged mismanagement on the part of the airline, saying that the staff has been treated unequally. The employees are unhappy as some staff members have reportedly been offered jobs at lower positions despite clearing interviews for senior posts.
They have also alleged that internal job postings are being filled by external candidates, bypassing qualified internal personnel. Changes in the compensation package of the employees as the airline prepares for its merger are also a factor.
Reacting to the action by cabin crew, Air India Express reportedly issued termination letters to 25 cabin crew. According to news agency PTI, the remaining cabin crew members on sick leave were given an ultimatum to report for duty by 4 pm IST on Thursday to avoid facing termination. The airline has now withdrawn these termination letters.
“While we will continue to engage with our cabin crew colleagues with a commitment to address any concern, we are taking appropriate steps against certain individuals as their actions have caused grave inconvenience,” the airline spokesperson said.
The Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation has sought a report from the
Indian travelers believe that airlines and hotels have the most potential to counter environmental impacts of tourism, followed by travelers themselves and major sites and apps, according to a report by Booking.com.
The central state of Madhya Pradesh could introduce a tourist registration system for its religious sites, including the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain, Skift has learnt from sources. The move aims to tackle the issue of overtourism and overcrowding at the state’s top tourist destinations.
Indian online travel company EaseMyTrip will be focusing on growing its non-air business in fiscal 2025, Prashant Pitti, its co-founder, said during an earnings call Friday.
Airport delays. Air ticket refunds. The size of your airline seat, and those annoying fees for being able to select a specific seat. These and other perennial hot-button items for fliers were among a slew of issues that were addressed in Congress recently, as lawmakers debated provisions in a massive piece of legislation reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the next five years.
From TBO Tek’s IPO launch and Akasa Air’s international network to the future of Vistara’s loyalty program post its merger with Air India, join Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan as they discuss some of the biggest headlines from India.
The Indian hotel sector delivered a strong first quarter due to an increase in corporate travel and weddings, real estate services company JLL shared in its Hotel Momentum India report.
The hotel, restaurant, and tourism sectors in India are estimated to generate about 200,000 jobs within the next 12 to 18 months, according to recruitment company TeamLease Services. About 50% of these jobs are expected to be created by the hotel industry, Economic Times reported.
The revenue of Indian airport operators is expected to increase by 15% to 17% in the 2024-25 financial year, according to credit rating agency ICRA. The agency added that the overall air passenger traffic in India in 2024-25 will grow by 8% to 11%, with 407 million to 418 million air passengers.
As the merger of Air India and Vistara airlines picks up steam, the process of merging their loyalty programs has also begun.
Travel distribution platform TBO Tek made a strong debut on the Indian stock market on Wednesday. Its shares were listed at 50% premium over its IPO issue price on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in the morning and at 55% premium on the National Stock Exchange (NSE).
The merging of Air India and Vistara seems ahead of schedule, according to reports in Indian media that cite Air India CEO Campbell Wilson’s comments at a town hall meeting with the employees.
In theory, Pimalai Resort and Spa in Thailand’s Krabi province checks all the boxes for Indian tourists. But the majority of the travelers limit their visit to Bangkok and Phuket, owner Charintip Tiyaphorn told Skift.