The Air India Express crisis appeared to have been averted on Thursday evening with official sources saying a section of the cabin crew had decided to call off the ongoing strike that had crippled the airline services resulting in the cancellation of nearly 170 international and domestic flights. After a meeting between the Office of the Labour Commissioner (Central), Tata-owned AI Express management and disgruntled employees, sources said, a section of AI Express cabin crew had decided to withdraw their strike and return to duty as the management agreed to examine the issues raised by them and also recall termination letters issued to 25 striking employees.

The AI Express had earlier on Thursday issued termination letters after the employees failed to report for duty and went on mass sick leave. The cabin crew had gone on mass sick leave against alleged mismanagement at the airline and attempts by the Regional Labour Commissioner to impress the AI Express management to probe the matter had not borne fruit. The Regional Commissioner had on May 4 asked the AI Express management to constitute a high-level committee to examine the “genuine grievances of the employees and not disregard the complaints through idiotic interpretation of labour laws”.