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). The strike that began at 10 p.m. on Saturday has delayed several flights. However, the airport authority has informed that no flights were cancelled due to the protest.
The protesters are employees of Air India SATS Airport Services Private Limited. Trade unions led by INTUC, BMS and CITU have joined the strike. These unions are jointly leading the strike, demanding a salary revision and bonus allowances. 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 MC, 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.
The first international flight from Port Blair’s Veer Savarkar International Airport to Kuala Lumpur is scheduled for November 16 after major infrastructure upgrades. This move is anticipated to enhance tourism in the region. PM Modi inaugurated the airport’s modernization on June 21, 2023, marking a significant development for local tourism.
The cargo movement has been affected and, according to sources in Thiruvananthapuram airport, perishable goods of around 20 tonnes are held up at the airport due to the strike. Air India SATS, a company whose employees are on strike, told IANS that it has deployed more people, including their students, at the airport to handle the situation.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.
