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Air India rubbishes rumours of cabin crew shortage; says 'hiring proactively'

'Some of the flights have faced operational issues but these are sporadic'

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Tata group-owned full-service carrier Air India, on Friday, sought to clarify on reports of cabin crew shortage and operational issues.

The airliner said some of the flights have faced operational issues but these are sporadic and the same has been addressed promptly. An Air India spokesperson said rumours regarding cabin crew shortage are completely baseless.

“On the contrary, Air India has been hiring proactively in the last few months in order to cater to the growing traffic on domestic and international routes. Nonetheless, we regret the inconvenience that the delay may have caused to our valuable passengers,” the Air India spokesperson has been quoted as saying.

“Air India regrets that some of our North America flights have been delayed due to operational issues arising from the slower-than-expected issuance of airport entry passes to cabin crew. Air India is working closely with relevant authorities to expedite the issuance of remaining passes. We regret the inconvenience that this has caused to our passengers,” an Air India spokesperson said.

There have been reports earlier that Air India has been facing a shortage of pilots and that it was planning to hire pilots for Boeing 777 planes.

On Thursday, Air India had said as part of the refurbishment exercise, it will carry out a complete overhaul of existing cabin interiors, including the addition of latest-generation seats and best in-class inflight entertainment across all classes.

The company has mandated London-based product design companies JPA Design and Trendworks to assist with the cabin interior design elements of the refurbishment exercise, the airliner said in a statement.

Of the 40 planes which are set to go for refurbishment, 27 are Boeing 787-800s and 13 Boeing 777s.

—With PTI inputs

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