Thousands of passengers booked on Air India, Air India Express, and several foreign airlines faced significant disruptions at Mumbai airport on Monday as employees of AI Airport Services Ltd (AIASL), a government-owned ground handling company, held an impromptu demonstration demanding better employment terms. The protest, which took place between 10 am and 1 pm, led to delays in 31 departures, delayed parking for five arrival flights, and delayed baggage delivery for six international and 33 domestic flights, according to sources.
Scope of disruption
AIASL provides ground handling services not only to the Air India group but also to 37 foreign carriers, as per its website. The disruption affected check-in, baggage handling, and cargo loading and unloading operations, causing cascading delays for Air India and Air India Express flights. Passengers on at least one Delhi-Mumbai flight were forced to remain seated inside the aircraft for nearly two hours after landing due to the unavailability of ground staff.
Several departing flights, including those to Delhi, Chandigarh, Udaipur, Kolkata, and Bhuj, were delayed. Airport security, CISF, local police, terminal operations, and airside teams coordinated extensively to maintain operational continuity and minimize passenger inconvenience, a source said.
Union demands
The protest was organized by workers affiliated with the Akhil Bhartiya Kamgar Karmachari Sangh (ABKKS), which had earlier issued a final ultimatum to the management over long-pending demands. In a letter dated May 18, the union sought permanent employment status for fixed-term contract workers who had completed five years of service, implementation of a wage revision pending since 2017, a same work same pay policy, transport and canteen facilities, a promotion policy, refund of salary deductions made during the Covid-19 period, compensation for employees retiring during service tenure, medical and accident insurance coverage, and a halt to recruitment of retired staff members.
The union had warned that failing resolution of issues, workers could resort to strike action under the Industrial Disputes Act. Following the protest, the union stated that the management agreed in writing to address the workers' demands.
Airline response
An Air India spokesperson acknowledged the disruption, saying, 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. Our airport teams are working closely with all stakeholders to minimize inconvenience to guests and restore normal operations at the earliest. We appreciate the understanding and patience of our guests during this time.
George Abraham, general secretary of the Aviation Industry Employees Guild, expressed support for the protest, stating that the demands were 100% justified and his union wholeheartedly supported the morcha against the management of AIASL.
