AI cabin crew threaten stir over pending dues

International passengers travelling on Air India flights could witness poor service onboard because cabin crew members have threatened to boycott flight duty to protest delay in payment of allowances. Soubhik Mitra reports.

International passengers travelling on Air India flights could witness poor service onboard because cabin crew members have threatened to boycott flight duty to protest delay in payment of allowances.

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The cabin crew union issued a letter in this regard to the airline last week, claiming that AI had not paid sustenance allowance to the crew since August.

Sustenance allowance is paid by the airline in foreign currency to crew operating international flights. Though the crew union has not threatened a strike, it has a warned of a possibility of inconvenience to passengers.

“Until now, we had convinced them to continue their duty but there is a possibility that they might refuse flight duty if the problem is not resolved immediately,” reads the letter issued by the All India Cabin Crew Association (AICCA), one of the two cabin crew unions in the airline.

The union claims that the crew has been spending from its pockets for meals and other expenses such as laundry.

“The airline’s contracts with the hotels are strictly on bed-and-breakfast basis. All other expenses are borne by the crew,” said an AICCA member.

The AI spokesperson did not respond to queries.