Why Air India fired 1,000+ employees in last 3 years

Why Air India fired 1,000+ employees in last 3 years

Air India has terminated more than 1,000 employees in the last three years for ethical breaches.

These include violations like misusing the Employee Leisure Travel (ELT) system and smuggling items off planes.

Campbell Wilson, CEO of Tata Group-owned Air India, revealed this during a recent town hall meeting with staff members.

He stressed that ethical conduct is especially important during challenging times as misconduct can jeopardize the entire organization.

Widespread violations of leisure travel policy

Wilson also revealed that hundreds of employees had misused the ELT system.

He said, "We have terminated more than 1,000 people for ethical breach such as smuggling things off the plane and allowing excess baggage onto the aircraft without being charged."

The airline has also found widespread violations of its leisure travel policy involving over 4,000 employees.

It has taken corrective actions including penalties against those who violated these policies.

Wilson warns of potential financial challenges in 2026

As part of its cost-saving strategies, Air India has frozen annual increments and asked employees to limit discretionary and non-essential spending.

Wilson warned that if things don't improve, especially in the Middle East market, 2026 could be financially challenging for the airline.

The Air India Group, Air India and Air India Express, has reported losses exceeding ₹22,000 crore.