Thiruvananthapuram: The flight moment in Thiruvananthapuram International Airport has been affected with several outgoing and incoming international flights delayed following an indefinite strike declared by a group of employees from a Ground Handling Agency (GHA). 

Cargo operations at airport was also severely disrupted due to an ongoing strike by contract workers of Air India SATS, who are demanding salary revisions, bonuses, and other benefits. The strike, jointly led by several trade unions, began at 10 PM on Saturday and has caused significant challenges in cargo handling. 

The strike delayed several flights, but 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. A Thiruvananthapuram-Dubai Emirates flight, scheduled for takeoff at 4.40 a.m., departed at 7.05 a.m.

Radhakrishnan M.C., a passenger who reached Thiruvananthapuram on the Abu Dhabi-Thiruvananthapuram Air Arabia flight, that landed at 4.40 a.m., told IANS that he had to wait for two hours to get his luggage.

As a result of the strike, approximately 20 tonnes of food items, which were scheduled to be loaded onto various flights since Saturday night, remain stranded at the airport. The disruption has impacted cargo operations for several airlines, including Air India Express to Muscat, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah, as well as Air Arabia, Qatar Airways, and Kuwait Airways.

On Sunday morning, the only cargo operation carried out was for an Emirates flight, where six staff members managed to load 23 tonnes of goods. The flight was delayed by three hours due to the shortage of personnel. Passengers are also experiencing delays in receiving their luggage as the strike continues to affect airport services.

In an effort to manage the crisis, authorities are deploying students from the Air India SATS Institute and office staff as temporary replacements to sustain some level of operations.

The strike involves around 400 ground-handling workers who are demanding that management meet their demands for better pay and bonuses. Despite multiple discussions held with the Chief Labour Commissioner, management has so far refused to accede to the workers' demands. As a result, unions including CITU, BMS, INTUC, and AITUC have called for the strike.

It may be noted that Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is the second busiest airport in Kerala after Nedumbassery International Airport at Kochi. In the financial year 2023-24, the airport handled over 4.4 million passengers with a total of over 30,000 aircraft movements. Thiruvananthapuram Airport also caters to Rajiv Gandhi Academy for Aviation Technology which carries out pilot training activities. The Airport hosts Air India‘s narrow body maintenance, repair and overhaul MRO unit that services Air India Express aircraft. Established in 1932 it is the first airport of Kerala and is just 1km away from the Arabian Sea and is spread across an area of 800 km.

(With input from IANS)