Mumbai: Flight operations at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) were plunged into chaos on Monday after hundreds of ground handling employees of government-run AI Airport Services Ltd (AIASL) went on a sudden flash strike. The strike left thousands of passengers stranded and triggered widespread delays and cancellations across multiple airlines as baggage and conveyor belt services took a direct hit.
BJP-backed union calls strike at 11am, catches authorities off guard
The strike, called by the Bharatiya Janata Party-backed Akhil Bharatiya Kamgar Karmachari Sangh, demanded solutions to various grievances of AIASL employees and urged multiple employee-friendly revisions to company policies. What was initially announced as a minor protest turned into a full strike at 11am, catching both airport authorities and airlines completely off guard.
AIASL, a major ground-handling service provider at Mumbai airport, serves around 80 domestic and international carriers. The effect was felt across airlines that rely on AIASL for ramp and baggage services. The strike severely impacted airside operations, with baggage loading and unloading taking a direct hit.
Mountains of luggage pile up; Air India, Express, Flydubai delay flights
As the morning progressed, mountains of luggage accumulated near the aircraft bays and inside the terminal arrivals area. With ground handling staff walking off the job, several Indian and international airlines, including Air India, Air India Express, Flydubai, Oman Air and more, reported cascading delays. Aircraft were forced to sit idle on the tarmac as ground crews struggled to manage the turnaround times without the necessary support staff.
According to passengers flying from Mumbai Airport on Monday, airlines delayed flights for hours even after completing the boarding process as baggage operations came to a standstill. Poulomi Sriniwas, a passenger who arrived in Mumbai at 12pm from Bengaluru by Air India, said that the passengers weren’t allowed to deboard even after more than an hour. Sriniwas said that she had a connecting flight to Kuala Lumpur and needed to reach the immigration counter as soon as possible.
Demands: permanent jobs, salary revision, Covid dues, medical insurance
While the passengers were left stranded inside the aircraft and the terminal buildings, the employees demanded permanent employment for fixed-term contract workers, implementation of salary revision pending since 2017, promotion policy, refund and settlement of salary deductions made during the Covid-19 period, as well as rehiring of the workers laid off during that time. Moreover, the demands also included a medical insurance policy for employees and their families, Rs 10 lakh compensation for employee death, and a cessation of hiring retired employees.
Air India operations were impacted the most as it is completely dependent on AIASL for ground handling works, including baggage loading and unloading, bus services and baggage delivery on conveyor belts. Almost all the Air India flights on Monday saw delays upwards of one hour, while multiple flights were cancelled due to the unavailability of ground handlers.
According to an official close to the developments, the strike was called off by 2pm after AIASL management assured employees that their demands would be looked into. While another official told The Free Press Journal that operations had normalised by 6pm, the effect continued to hit Air India operations till late evening as multiple flights faced delays while various others had to be cancelled.
Air India acknowledged the strike’s impact on its operations, stating that industrial action by employees of a third-party ground-handling agency also affected the operations of its low-cost carrier, Air India Express. “Our airport teams are working closely with all stakeholders to minimise inconvenience to guests and restore normal operations at the earliest,” said an Air India spokesperson.
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