Air India Flights Disrupted at Mumbai Airport After AIASL Ground Staff Strike Over Wage Hike Demands, Over 15 Services Delayed

Several flights operated by Air India at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport faced major disruption on Monday after employees of government-owned ground handling agency AI Airport Services Limited staged a sudden protest over wage hikes and other demands. As many as 15 departing flights from Mumbai airport were delayed by nearly 90 minutes to two hours, according to reports. Apart from departures, several arriving flights were also affected, leaving passengers stranded inside aircraft and waiting for baggage amid confusion at the airport.

Multiple Flights Delayed Amid Operational Chaos

One of the affected services was an Air India flight from Hyderabad to Mumbai that landed at around 11.45 am on Monday. Passengers said they were unable to disembark for almost an hour after landing due to the disruption caused by the protest. “We landed at 11.45 am and had to remain inside the aircraft till around 1 pm. Once we disembarked, we were told there had been a strike by the ground staff. Even after that, there was no clarity on where to collect our baggage from, and I was only able to get mine around 2 pm,” said Sujit Dilip (50), a circus owner from Pune who was scheduled to attend a business meeting in Mumbai at 1 pm. “I ended up missing the meeting,” he said.

Passengers Complain of Lack of Information

Another affected service was Air India flight AI 431 from Mumbai to Dehradun, originally scheduled to depart at 12.10 pm. The flight was reportedly delayed by at least two hours, with passengers claiming they received little information from the airline regarding the revised departure timing.

“We have been waiting at the boarding gate since 11 am. Our boarding time on the pass is 11.10 am, and we are yet to board the flight,” said Gajendra Verma (80), a retired government employee travelling on the Mumbai-Dehradun route. The flight had reportedly not departed till around 3.30 pm.

AIASL Handles Ground Services for Multiple Airlines

AI Airport Services Limited provides ground handling services for the Air India group, including Air India and Air India Express, along with several international airlines operating from Mumbai and other airports across India.

The company manages operations for nearly 80 airlines, including carriers such as flydubai, Saudia, Oman Air, and SalamAir across 84 airports nationwide. AIASL has around 20,000 employees and reportedly handles close to 650 flights every day.

Air India and AIASL Respond to the Situation

Air India released a statement acknowledging the operational impact caused by the industrial action. “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,” the airline said.

AIASL later confirmed that employees had resumed work after receiving assurances from the management that their concerns would be reviewed. “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. “They have given us a letter. We have told them that we will go through the same in terms of the policies,” he added.

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