The Hindu : National : AAI strike may disrupt schedules

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 27, 2005

National

National

AAI strike may disrupt schedules

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Air travellers are in for some hardship and inconvenience as thousands of Airport Authority of India (AAI) employees plan to go on a nation-wide strike on September 29 to protest against airport "modernisation through privatisation."

Though the Ministry of Civil Aviation has drawn up a contingency plan to tackle the situation on Thursday, it is likely that flight schedules may be disrupted in the face of the strike call being supported by an estimated 20,000 employees owing allegiance to the AAI Employees Joint Forum. Apart from general management of the airports, AAI employees provide technical and communication support as well.

While AAI joint forum general secretary M.K. Ghoshal told reporters on Monday that the forum was not against modernisation of the Delhi and Mumbai airports and had already submitted an alternate modernisation plan to the Civil Aviation Ministry for the two metro airports, the Ministry said the AAI's plan would be examined in due course. The process of modernisation of the Delhi and Mumbai airports has been set in motion as the Ministry is examining 11 bids by private consortia.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National