Flight operations at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport were severely disrupted on Monday following unannounced industrial action by employees of AI Airport Services Ltd (AIASL), the government-owned ground handling company. According to Times Now, as many as 15 flights departing from the Mumbai airport were delayed by between 90 minutes and two hours, with several incoming flights also grounded for up to an hour after landing. The disruption has affected flight handling services, leading to operational challenges for both carriers, though the airline has not yet disclosed the exact scale of delays or cancellations caused by the protests. An Air India flight from Hyderabad to Mumbai that landed at 11.45 am on Monday was particularly affected, with passengers reporting they were unable to disembark for at least an hour after arrival and had to remain inside the aircraft until around 1 pm. Operations have now returned to normal following a 2.5-hour disruption, as confirmed by NDTV.
The unannounced strike has had a cascading effect across international operations, as reported by Times Now. Flight schedules for global airlines, including Flydubai, Saudia, Oman Air, and SalamAir, were among those severely impacted by the sudden labor disruption at the terminal. The government-owned ground handling company provides critical services for Air India, Air India Express, and several prominent foreign carriers operating out of the terminal. The Indian Express reports that the strike affected flight operations of airline services including Air India, Air India Express, and Oman Air, with the government-owned ground handling company providing services to the Air India group and several international carriers operating out of Mumbai airport and other airports across the country.
Several passengers reported prolonged delays and confusion during the strike period. Sujit Dilip (50), a circus owner from Pune who was scheduled to attend a business meeting in Mumbai at 1 pm, missed his appointment after being stuck inside the aircraft for over an hour. Rita Vijay (50), travelling from Rome to Mumbai via Delhi on an Air India flight, claimed airline staff refused to provide clarity regarding the delay in disembarkation. Baggage delivery was also severely affected, with Anand Kishore Purva struggling to retrieve his luggage till nearly 4.15 pm after landing from Kochi around 1 pm. Another Air India flight, AI 431 from Mumbai to Dehradun, scheduled to depart at 12.10 pm, was delayed by at least two hours, with passengers complaining that no information was provided by the airline about the revised departure time. According to NDTV, immediately after the Hyderabad flight landed, employees walked off the job, leaving passengers trapped in their seats and unable to disembark for over half an hour. Passengers faced nearly an hour inside the aircraft and delays in baggage reclaim before operations resumed after mediation.
The strike was organised by the BJP-backed Akhil Bhartiya Kamgaar Karmchaari Sangh and saw participation of AIASL workers, including ground staff, counter staff, and handymen. According to The Indian Express, workers were protesting against poor working conditions, unresolved operational issues, and overall mismanagement. Claiming that they haven't received salary increments since 2017, workers appealed for wage revision and implementation of promotional policies. Employees also sought that Fixed-Term-Contract (FTC) workers employed for more than five years should receive permanent employment status, among other demands. The protest began at 11 am near the Ground Services Department (GSD) within the AIASL building, with workers stating they had raised these issues before the AIASL management for the past 8 months but received no concrete response. As per NDTV, the employees' union alleged that management has failed to address stalled salary increments and long-pending promotions.
According to the airline's official statement to NDTV, airport teams are working closely with all stakeholders to minimise inconvenience caused to passengers amid the disruption. The airline also stated that efforts are underway to restore normal operations at the earliest. Air India and Air India Express also initiated contingency measures, including revised scheduling and re-accommodation of affected passengers, while coordinating with airport authorities and the ground handling agency to stabilise operations. In a statement, Air India said, "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 minimise inconvenience to guests and restore normal operations at the earliest. We appreciate the understanding and patience of our guests during this time." AIASL later confirmed that employees had resumed work after receiving assurances from the management that their demands would be looked into. "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 work," said Rambabu, CEO of AIASL. The company, which has around 20,000 employees and handles nearly 650 flights daily, provided written assurance that their demands would be reviewed under existing policies. 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.
