Air India Employees Voice Concerns Over New Room Sharing Policy

Several employees of Air India have expressed concerns regarding the airline’s newly proposed room-sharing policy for cabin crew members, scheduled to take effect on December 1. The concerns, primarily privacy and fatigue, were raised in an email addressed to CEO Campbell Wilson and Chief Human Resource Officer Ravindra Kumar.

Impact on Health and Performance

The employees stressed that the new policy could negatively affect their rest periods, essential for maintaining health and performance during long, irregular shifts, which can extend up to 18 hours. They emphasized the importance of personal space for adequate rest, particularly after ultra-long-haul flights.

The crew further pointed out the need for flexibility due to varying flight schedules, which require different rest and sleep cycles for optimal recovery.

Response from Airline Management

In response, an Air India spokesperson explained that the room-sharing policy is part of broader efforts to align the company’s employee policies with those of Vistara following their merger. The spokesperson also noted that the new policy is included in a set of compensation and benefits changes designed to be competitive and in line with industry standards.

Arun Kapur, a former safety and emergency procedures instructor for Air India’s cabin crew training, criticized the policy as “neither safe nor kind.” He highlighted that cabin crew members often have different ways of unwinding after work, which the room-sharing arrangement could hamper. He emphasized that even crew members on the same flight may have varying rest needs.

Under the new policy, cabin crew and cabin seniors will share rooms on a twin basis. However, in-flight cabin managers and executives with 8 to 9 years of experience will continue to be assigned single rooms.

Air India is also planning to increase allowances for cabin crew on international flights, with the new range set at USD 85-135, up from the current USD 75-125. However, the ₹1,000 per night allowance for domestic flights will remain unchanged.

While the room-sharing policy is already in place at Air India Express and Vistara, this marks the first time it will be introduced at Air India. The policy comes at a time when a section of employees has sought legal redress for human resource issues under labor law before the Central Labour Commissioner.