Ground Handling Staff Strike Delays 37 Air India Flights At Mumbai Airport

As many as 37 domestic and international flight services of Indian national carrier, Air India affected on Thursday (8) in India’s commercial capital Mumbai following an unexpected strike by a section of employees, according to an official.

A section of staff of India’s national carrier’s ground handling subsidiarity, Air India Air Transport Services Ltd (AIATSL) moved on flash strike against non-payment of Diwali bonus and other issues.

The staff of AIATSL stalled their work at the Mumbai airport from the intervening night of Wednesday (7) and Thursday, demanding full payment of Diwali festive bonus and reinstatement of three employees whose contracts were not renewed by the company.

AIATSL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Air India, offers ground handling services to the national carrier across all airports in India. It employs about 5,000 people, including the contract employees.

"Some AIATSL employees at the Mumbai airport are on strike since Wednesday-Thursday (intervening) night over non-payment of Diwali Bonus and reinstatement of the services of some of their former colleagues. This stand-off has resulted in flight operations getting hampered," India’s news agency PTI quoted an official as saying.

According to the official, around 37 flights, including international ones, were delayed by 150 to 180 minutes until 15.00 hours on Thursday. Amid flash strike, no Air India flight has been cancelled so far.

Negotiations are continuing between the agitating staff members and the AIATSL management to resolve the matter as early as possible.

Meanwhile, the airline didn’t inform the passengers on the unexpected strike started by the ground staff instead it altered the passengers just a few minutes before the departure of some plights, the passengers tweeted blaming the airline.