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Indian Airport strikes hit hard
Indian police took over much of the running of the country’s two main airports on Thursday as striking workers protested for a second day over threatened job cuts because of privatization.
Rubbish bins were overflowing, toilets were left uncleaned and passengers had to walk to terminals in the capital after protesters blockaded the main road to New Delhi Airport.
Authorities advised passengers to travel light and arrive early for flights and said backup services at the airports were in line with international safety standards.
“We have not compromised on safety. Passengers should be rest assured that safety has not been compromised,” Civil Aviation Secretary Ajay Prasad told reporters.
India, Asia’s third-largest economy, has embarked on a drive to modernize and revamp its Soviet-era airports in New Delhi, the capital, and Mumbai, the financial hub.
But the move has angered workers and nearly 23,000 members of the state-run Airports Authority of India have declared an indefinite strike over the move to bring in private companies to take over and modernize the shabby, run-down airports.
In Mumbai, the financial hub, the airport was strewn with litter, and in the eastern city of Kolkata baggage handling came to a standstill with airline staff helping passengers disembark.
But flights, with minor delays, were still operating.
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