AI Express sacks 1 employee, action against 3 others

Air India Express has sacked an employee and ordered penal action against three others after a probe found them guilty of discrimination and favouritism against Delhi-based cabin crew during the last six months.

The action comes following complaints of irregularities, corruption and malpractices in the Cabin Crew Roster Section of Air India Charters Ltd, which operates Air India Express, with Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh, an official statement said.

Taking a serious note of the issue, the Minister had ordered a probe into the allegation that discrimination by officials of the roster section in allocating duties among cabin crew had led to very low average utilisation of Delhi-based cabin crew of AICL during last six months and very few flights were allotted to them.

"The Minister has ordered immediate termination of the services of a temporary employee, Ashwini Aryan, in this regard, who was holding the post of Crew Scheduling Assistant in the Operations Department of AICL in Delhi," an official spokesperson said.

Singh also ordered penal action against Aryan's supervisor and the officers who appointed him, as the probe found that he was first appointed for a six months period in June 2011 at Kochi without following necessary procedures.

He was appointed to a post which was not advertised. The Minister also cautioned the authorities against indulging in any such malpractices in the future.

Air India is implementing computerised Crew Management System for cabin crew as well as pilots, which would minimize scope of malpractice in rostering duty, he added.