Crew Scheduling Woes Disrupt Air India Express Flights

Air India Express, a subsidiary of Tata Group, is grappling with significant operational disruptions following the transition to a new crew scheduling software.

On May 19, an Air India Express pilot, prepared to operate a flight from Riyadh to Cochin, discovered during the pre-flight briefing that he was assigned to an Airbus A320, despite being trained only on the Boeing 737. This necessitated the deployment of a new crew, causing a 15-hour delay. This incident is one of many issues plaguing the airline since the introduction of the new rostering software from Canada-based CAE Group on May 5. The implementation coincided with the airline’s struggle to recover from a wave of cabin crew sick leaves that resulted in the cancellation of approximately 100 flights on May 8 and 9. Despite the cabin crew resuming work following the airline’s agreement to reinstate previously sacked employees, operational challenges persist.

Insiders report that Air India Express has had to resort to manual tracking and scheduling of its crew. Approximately 50 out of the airline’s 300 daily flights have been affected. To mitigate these disruptions, Tata Group carriers Air India and Vistara have stepped in, operating around 20 additional daily flights. An Air India Express crew member revealed that staff members are required to manually report their locations via a Google sheet, which is then integrated into the new system to create the roster for June. Many crew members are working overtime to locate colleagues and assign flights accordingly.

Despite these challenges, an Air India Express spokesperson stated that the airline has largely mitigated disruptions and expects a full recovery within the week. The Tata Group is undertaking a comprehensive overhaul of IT systems across its aviation ventures as part of a broader strategy to streamline and consolidate operations. This includes the integration of AirAsia India into Air India Express and the merger of Air India with Vistara, creating distinct budget and full-service airlines. The process of crew rostering is inherently complex, requiring adherence to strict regulations on working and rest periods, along with accommodating airline policies and unexpected events. The new system’s inability to track the locations of crew members during the May 8 and 9 disruptions highlights the need for thorough User Acceptance Testing (UAT) before deploying new software, according to an executive with experience in large-scale airline software transitions.

Air India Express has ambitious expansion plans, aiming to become the second-largest player in the domestic market behind IndiGo. Since September, the airline has added 20 Boeing 737 Max aircraft and plans to acquire 30 more by the end of the year. However, industry experts caution that the Tata Group will face considerable challenges in consolidating its aviation businesses and ensuring seamless operations across its carriers. This recent turbulence underscores the critical importance of robust system testing and careful management of technological transitions in the aviation industry.