Strike By Ground Staff Briefly Disrupts Air India Ops At Mumbai Airport

Several flights of Air India and Air India Express were delayed on Monday as employees of government-owned ground handling agency AIASL carried out a protest at the Mumbai airport for a wage hike and other demands.

AIASL provides ground handling services to Air India Group - Air India and Air India Express - as well as international airlines at the Mumbai International Airport, along with other airports in the country.

Air India, in a statement, said that an industrial action by employees, which began at around 11 am, of a third-party ground-handling agency at the Mumbai airport is impacting 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," Air India said in a statement.

"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," it added. 

The airline, however, did not share the number of its flights that were impacted due to the AIASL employees' protest.

Reports indicate that immediately after the flight from Hyderabad landed, employees walked off the job, leaving passengers trapped in their seats and unable to disembark for over half an hour.

Senior officials from the Airport Authority and Air India quickly launched a mediation meeting to resolve the standoff. Following a 2.5-hour disruption, operations have now returned to normal.

The striking employees are responsible for critical ground support services, including aircraft maintenance, baggage handling, technical inspections, and conducting flight safety checks for pre-departure clearance. 

Pressing their demands, the workers ceased operations and staged a sit-in protest at the aiport. The employees' union alleged that management has failed to address stalled salary increments and long-pending promotions.

"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 back the work," said Rambabu, CEO at AIASL.