Air India ground handling employees go on strike at Mumbai airport; flights affected

37 flights were delayed due to the strike, an airline official said, adding that no flight was cancelled until late in the afternoon.

File picture for representation purpose only.

Over 37 Air India flights were delayed by over two hours on Thursday due to a sudden strike called by contractual staff of the Air India Air Transport Services Ltd. (AIATSL) at Mumbai airport.

Officials said the flash strike was called by the contractual employees against the non-payment of Diwali bonus and to press for their demand to reinstate a few workers who had been retrenched.

AIATSL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the national carrier, provides ground handling services to Air India across airports in the country. It has about 5,000 employees, including those on contract.

"Due to a sudden industrial situation at Mumbai airport by AIATSL employees, some flights got delayed. We are assessing the situation and all efforts are being made to minimise delays or disruptions," an Air India spokesperson said.

The airline said that its permanent employees have been deputed to normalise the situation. "Only early morning flights from Mumbai were delayed by two hours," an official said.

A Mumbai International Airport Ltd. (MIAL) spokesperson said 8 domestic arrivals and 16 international departures were delayed. "There is an average two hour delay," the MIAL spokesperson added.

PTI adds...

Later in the day, an official said that around 37 flights, including international ones, were delayed by 2.5 hours-3 hours till 1500 hours on Thursday.

However, no flight has been cancelled so far, the official said.

"The company has already paid the bonus after negotiations but the employees are now insisting that the services of three of their colleagues, whose contracts were not renewed last month, be restored," he said.

"Negotiations are going on between the striking employees and the AIATSL management to resolve the issue," the official added.