Thiruvananthapuram: An indefinite strike declared by a group of employees from a Ground Handling Agency (GHA) at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport has delayed several flights by up to 30 minutes. The strike began around 10 pm on Saturday.
The protesters were employees of Air India SATS Airport Services Private Limited. Various trade unions jointly led the strike, demanding a salary revision and bonus allowances. However, the airport authority has informed that no flights were cancelled due to the protest.
The passengers of the Bengaluru-Thiruvananthapuram Vistara service were the first affected. The Thiruvananthapuram-Dubai Emirates flight, scheduled for takeoff at 4:40 am, departed at 7:05 am. A passenger of the Abu Dhabi-Thiruvananthapuram Air Arabia flight, which landed at 4:40 am, told Manorama News that he lost his luggage.
According to Air India SATS, the company has deployed more people, including their students, at the airport to handle the situation.