Crew of Tel Aviv flight misses event, faces AI fire

NEW DELHI: Air India has taken nine cabin crew members - who operated the inaugural Delhi-Tel Aviv flight on March 22 - off international flying duty after they failed to attend a launch event-cum-lunch hosted to celebrate this new route. The high profile event was organised in the Israeli capital a day or two after the inaugural flight to showcase the new route.

Senior diplomats of the Indian embassy, Israeli dignitaries and people associated with the travel industry had attended the function for this "historic route". At airline dos, it is customary for cabin crew members to be present in their uniforms.

Sources say the crew members, eight air hostesses and a flight purser, were probably not informed in time about the event. "They got a call at 11 am in Tel Aviv to quickly get ready for the party that was an hour or so away. They could not get ready in time to be there. However being the launch flight event, the airline cabin crew's absence has become a big issue which is being taken up at the chairman's level," said sources.


The airline is probing whether the crew was actually not informed about the event in time or if there was a communication gap. Pending the probe, the nine cabin crew members have been put off international flying and are being rostered on domestic flights so that they are available for the inquiry. "It is unlikely that crew will not turn up attired immaculately for such events if told in time and briefed properly. These are moments of pride for a crew member and no one wants to miss out such events, especially for a flight making history like the Delhi-Tel Aviv route flying over Saudi Arabia," said an official.

AI did not comment on the issue till the time of going to press.

This episode, say sources, highlights the deep divide between staffers of erstwhile Air India and Indian Airlines that still exists in the merged airline.If an official from erstwhile AI is heading a particular department, employees of IA allege of being discriminated and vice-versa. Scheduling of cabin crew for flights is handled by an ex-IA official and cabin crew of erstwhile AI level the same charge.

"The merger of AI and IA is only on paper. The employees still feel they are ex-AI or ex-IA. Whoever is the new owner, will find he has acquired one airline with two sets of staffers," said an official.