Operations at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport were thrown into disarray on Monday afternoon after employees of AI Airport Services Limited (AIASL), the government-owned ground handling company that supports Air India Group operations, staged industrial action over wage-related demands and staffing concerns.
The disruption significantly impacted operations for both Air India and Air India Express through Mumbai, leading to widespread delays, passengers stranded on board after landing, and cascading operational issues during one of the busiest periods of the day.
Air India Airport Services goes on strike
According to reports emerging in the afternoon, at least 15 departing flights from Mumbai were delayed by 90 minutes to two hours after AIASL employees temporarily stopped work while protesting at the airport premises. The demands reportedly centred around wage hikes and other employment-related issues.
One of the most visible impacts of the disruption came on arriving flights. An Air India flight arriving from Hyderabad was reportedly left parked on the ground after landing because ground-handling support was unavailable, leaving passengers stranded on board for over 30 minutes before disembarkation could begin.
Passengers on social media described scenes of confusion at Mumbai Airport, with delayed boarding, baggage delivery issues, unavailable staff at the gates, and aircraft waiting for extended periods for pushback and turnaround. Several travellers complained that little operational information was being provided during the delays.
You board a flight in Mumbai. The announcement says boarding is complete. Then comes the real announcement ! Ground handling staff has gone on a flash strike, so the luggage was never loaded.
And unfortunately, it’s Air India again.— Bipin Kumar Singh (@BipinAndSingh) May 18, 2026
For thousands of @airindia passengers who flew into Mumbai today, it has been a complete nightmare. First, flyers have to wait at least 30–40 minutes on the taxiway before the aircraft even parks. Then comes the endless wait for luggage.
— Ashish Khetan (@AashishKhetan) May 18, 2026
Among the affected flights was Air India flight AI431 from Mumbai to Dehradun, which reportedly experienced a delay of nearly four hours. Other domestic and international departures were also impacted as the shortage of available ramp and baggage staff disrupted aircraft turnaround schedules.
@airindia you do it again .. love the consistency of Air india .. delhi mumbai flight AI 2951 . The Passanger’s are stranded in the craft for last two hours .. and it is bloody hot at the Tarmac with no AC .. the buses to deplane hasn’t reached the plane for last 45 mins pic.twitter.com/ZBd5EQPXH1
— Sanjeev Pasricha (@sanjeevpasricha) May 18, 2026
In a statement issued later in the day, Air India confirmed that “industrial action by employees of a third-party ground-handling agency at Mumbai airport” had impacted operations of both Air India and Air India Express. The airline said airport teams were working with stakeholders to minimise inconvenience and restore operations as quickly as possible.
While the immediate disruption primarily affected Air India Group airlines, the ripple effect extended beyond them. AIASL is one of India’s largest airport services providers and handles flights for about 80 airlines. Airlines such as Flydubai, Saudia, Oman Air and SalamAir also rely on AIASL ground support infrastructure at Mumbai.
Mumbai Airport, which routinely operates near saturation for much of the day, has very little spare operational capacity. Even short disruptions in manpower availability can quickly cascade through airline schedules, particularly for carriers such as Air India that rely on large numbers of domestic and international connections through the airport.
The timing is also sensitive for Air India. The Tata Group-owned airline is in the middle of a large-scale operational transformation involving fleet retrofits, aircraft inductions, network restructuring and the integration of Air India Express and former Vistara systems into a unified operating structure. Operational reliability has become a major focus area for the airline as it attempts to rebuild customer confidence and premium positioning.
AIASL itself remains a key legacy component of the former state-owned Air India ecosystem. Despite Air India’s privatisation, the ground-handling company continues to operate independently, handling hundreds of flights daily across India. According to reports, the company operates at 84 airports and manages services for a significant share of domestic and international traffic.
By evening, operations had begun gradually stabilising after protesting employees reportedly resumed work following assurances from management that their demands would be reviewed. However, residual delays were expected to persist into the night, as aircraft rotations and crew schedules remained misaligned following the afternoon disruption.
Bottomline
Air India and Air India Express saw disruptions at Mumbai airport this afternoon, when their ground handler, the Air India Airport Services (still not privatised) went on a flash strike at Mumbai Airport. The strike was withdrawn later in the day, but the airlines were affected, with Air India customers stuck on planes and not getting their bags in time.
Were you affected by the strike at Mumbai Airport today? Do share your experience
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