Despite reaping profits, Air India Express moves headquarters from Kochi; many lose jobs

KOCHI: Air India Express has moved the headquarters of the company from Kochi to Gurgaon. The headquarters which has been operating in Kochi since 2013, was shifted to Haryana citing policy reasons. Due to this, more than 300 people lost their jobs.

It is indicated that the transfer of employees in the administrative department has already started in 2023. Such a change of headquarters caused difficulties for many employees and many resigned and some lost their jobs. But the Elamkulam office in Kochi will continue to function with very few employees.

One of the company spokespersons stated that the shift of the headquarters to Gurgaon is a policy decision and such a change is to work closely with the parent company Air India. However, the spokesperson informed that although the headquarters has been shifted from Kochi, there will be no change in service operations and Kochi will continue to be an important hub. Air India Express is getting huge profits from the Kochi sector as an airline depended on by expatriates in the Gulf region.

At the same time, it is indicated that there is a rift in the relationship between the employees and the company. This has also affected many of the company's flight services. Around 300 cabin crew employees took sick leave en masse in May, creating a crisis for the company and over 200 services had to be cancelled. Thousands of passengers were also inconvenienced due to these issues. The matter was later resolved with the intervention of the Delhi Labour Commissioner.