Passengers reaching their final destination without their baggage should contact the airport airline representative or contact their airline call centre, DXB said
The national carrier, in a press statement, said the scheme primarily enables employees to proceed on LWP "on voluntary basis".
The airline had issued an internal order on Tuesday asking its departmental heads and regional directors to identify employees, based on various factors like efficiency, health and redundancy, who will be sent on compulsory LWP for up to five years.
"Air India is in a very challenging financial situation and is taking recourse to several initiatives with a view to ensuring the continuance of its operations," the airline said in the statement.
"The LWP scheme is a win-win situation for both the management as well as employees as it provides flexibility to employees and simultaneously reduces the wage bill for the company," it added.
Under this scheme, the airline said, the management can pass an order requiring the employees to compulsorily go on leave for a period of six months or two years (extendable up to five).
Employees will be chosen for the compulsory LWP provision taking into consideration suitability, efficiency, competence, quality of performance, health, non-availability and redundancy, it had said.
Air India said, "The provision has been introduced for use, very sparingly, with a view to ensure that the overall efficiency of the organisation improves."
It said the management will make sure that the scheme is implemented with complete fairness and transparency as per the prescribed procedure.
The airline said it had brought similar LWP schemes earlier in September 1998, June 2009 and August 2009. However, those schemes did not have the provision of the management sending employees on compulsory LWP, it added.
"Several hundred employees have in the past availed of the LWP scheme," the airline noted.
On Thursday, TMC MP Derek O'Brien slammed Air India, saying its LWP scheme violates labour laws and is an "obvious ploy" to protect the top management and sacrifice other workers.
The airline has a debt of around Rs 70,000 crore and the government started the process to sell it to a private entity in January this year. The national carrier's net loss in 2018-19 was around Rs 8,500 crore.
Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday said equity infusion of Rs 500-600 crore every year is not sustainable and cost-cutting in Air India is necessary.
The aviation sector has been significantly impacted due to travel restrictions imposed in India and other countries in view of the coronavirus pandemic. All airlines in India have taken cost-cutting measures such as pay cuts, LWP and firing employees in order to conserve cash flow.
Passengers reaching their final destination without their baggage should contact the airport airline representative or contact their airline call centre, DXB said
Spot gold was trading at $2,384.14 per ounce at 9.25 am UAE time, up 0.17 per cent
Passengers already in Dubai and in transit will continue to be processed for their flights, the airlines said
The airline also suspended flights to Iran amid reports of an Israeli strike
Expect fair to partly cloudy conditions today with chances of fog and mist formation in some areas
Iran fired air defense batteries after reports of explosions near a major airbase at the city of Isfahan
Other requests include residents seeking assistance with cleaning mud accumulation, restoring damaged furniture
Many students wade through waist-deep water to head to neighbour's house for online classes