Airport Union goes on strike, IAF on alert | Why?

New Delhi: If you are taking a flight out from any airport across the country on Tuesday night, be prepared for significant delays.

The tussle between the employees of the Airport Authority of India and the Civil Aviation Ministry on the closure of the Bangalore and Hyderabad airports is now threatening to impact air operations across the country.

With the talks between the Ministry and the AAI employees union to arrive at a consensus failing, the union has announced it will go on a strike or a “go-slow” operation beginning midnight.

"We are going ahead with our agitation as we have not received any response from the government's side," convenor of Airport Authority Employees Joint Forum, M K Ghoshal, told PTI.

Expect significant delays in baggage handling and other airport operations and flight schedules across 127 airports in the country going haywire.

While passengers flying into and out of Chandigrah, Ahmedabad, Kochi airports will see significant delays in their flights, Delhi and Mumbai airports will only be marginally hit.

However, Civil Aviation Secretary Ashok Chawla told CNN-IBN there will be no major trouble. He said while Essential Services Act has been invoked in Delhi, it will be invoked in elsewhere as well, if deemed necessary.

He said authorities were prepared for the worst and the Indian Air Force has been put on alert.

AAI employee union is protesting the Centre's plan to shut down the present airports at Bangalore and Hyderabad once the new airports there become operational.

Sources tell CNN-IBN the new Bangalore International airport will not open as per schedule on March 30 and could get delayed by a month.

The airport is still to get its operational license from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The ATC equipment is still to be calibrated abd employees are yet to be trained on the new equipment.

The Centre has also asked the BIAL not to levy user charges from domestic passengers. The Bangalore International Airport however says the airport will be opened as planned.(With inputs from Karma Paljor)