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Air India issued a statement saying the protest by employees of a third-party ground handling agency had affected operations.
Passenger at Mumbai airport (Credits: X)
Hundreds of passengers faced delays and confusion at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Monday after employees of AI Airport Services Limited (AIASL) staged a protest over salary hikes and other demands, disrupting several Air India flights.
At least 15 outgoing flights were delayed by up to two hours, while passengers on some arriving flights were forced to remain inside aircraft for nearly an hour after landing due to disruptions in ground handling operations.
Passengers Made To Wait Inside Aircraft
One of the affected flights was an Air India service from Hyderabad to Mumbai that landed around 11.45 am. Passengers said they were not allowed to leave the aircraft for nearly an hour after landing.
“We landed at 11.45 am and had to remain inside the aircraft till around 1 pm. Once we disembarked, we were told there had been some strike by the ground staff. Even after that, there was no clarity on where to collect our baggage from and I was only able to get mine around 2 pm,” said Sujit Dilip (50), a circus owner from Pune.
“I ended up missing the meeting,” he added, saying he was scheduled to attend a business meeting in Mumbai at 1 pm.
Another affected flight was AI 431 from Mumbai to Dehradun, scheduled to depart at 12.10 pm. The flight was delayed by over two hours, with passengers complaining about the lack of updates from the airline.
“We have been waiting at the boarding gate since 11 am. Our boarding time on the pass is 11.10 am and we are yet to board the flight,” said Gajendra Verma (80), a retired government employee. The flight had still not departed till 3.30 pm.
Protest Over Salary And Other Demands
AIASL, a government-owned ground handling company, provides services to Air India, Air India Express and several domestic and international airlines across airports in India.
Following the disruption, Air India issued a statement saying the protest by employees of a third-party ground handling agency had affected operations.
“Industrial action by employees of a third-party ground handling agency at Mumbai airport is impacting the operations of Air India Express and Air India. Our airport teams are working closely with all stakeholders to minimise inconvenience to guests and restore normal operations at the earliest. We appreciate the understanding and patience of our guests during this time,” the airline said.
Staff Resume Work After Assurance
Later in the day, AIASL said employees had returned to work after management assured them that their demands would be reviewed.
“There was a silent morcha by a certain section of employees, and we requested them to give us in writing their demands for discussion. They have been kind enough to go back and join work,” said AIASL CEO Rambabu.
“They have given us a letter. We have told them that we will go through the same in terms of the policies,” he added.
AIASL handles ground services for nearly 80 airlines, including international carriers such as flydubai, Saudia, Oman Air and SalamAir. The company operates across 84 airports and manages around 650 flights every day with a workforce of nearly 20,000 employees.
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