Mumbai: Air India and Air India Express flight operations have been disrupted at Mumbai airport on May 18, following an alleged strike by the ground handling agency, AI Airport Services Limited (AIASL). The passengers of an Air India flight from Hyderabad to Mumbai were also left stranded after landing at CSMIA due to the alleged strike.
According to an Indian Express report, passengers were reportedly left inside the aircraft for nearly an hour. Not just this, they later also faced long delays in receiving their baggage. The strike has severely impacted the arrival and departure of several flights from Mumbai and has also led to a chaotic situation for passengers at the airport.
Passengers took to social media to complain about the delays, calling the situation an "absolute embarrassment." A passenger from Mangaluru waiting to board his flight said that his flight kept getting delayed repeatedly, adding, "If you can't run operations properly, hand it back to the government instead of making passengers suffer every hour."
Delhi-Mumbai flight passengers complained that their baggage had still not been delivered even an hour after landing and said, "There is no proper assistance from staff."
One passenger complained that he had been stranded at Mumbai airport waiting to board Air India AI 2517 to Kochi, which was scheduled to depart at 13:30.
Another video shared showed, frustrated passengers queuing up at the information desk to know about the delay. One user posted on X stated that after waiting for 2–3 hours at the Mumbai airport, many passengers were forced to leave the airport without their luggage. The user wrote that there "is no ground staff to provide any information. No displays. No signage. Utter chaos."
Air India Issues Statement
In an official statement, the airline said, "The ongoing industrial action by staff of a third-party ground handling agency at Mumbai Airport is currently impacting the operations of our flights. Our airport teams are working closely with all concerned stakeholders to minimise the inconvenience to guests and restore normal operations. We truly appreciate your patience, understanding, and cooperation during this time. For any assistance, please feel free to connect with our staff at the airport."
