Flights operating normally despite airport employees' strike

Kolkata, Mar 13 (UNI) The sanitary conditions at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) airport here were fast deteriorating on the second day of the indefinite strike by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) Employees Union today.

However, all the flights continued to operate almost normally with altogether 31 flights arriving and 45 flights departing from the airport this morning.

Meanwhile, the worsening sanitary conditions at the terminal bulidings and lounges and absence of passenger facilities were causing concern among the airport and airlines authorities.

Passengers were facing hardships with the information board, showing the status of flights, remaining out of order and no public announcement regarding flights. Passenger trolleys for carrying baggages were almost non-existent.

Overflowing bathrooms, toilets and non-disposal of garbage were causing health hazards.

A passenger was seriously injured yesterday as he slipped and fell down on a water poodle from an overflowing bathroom and had to be admitted to the hospital.

A section of the domestic terminal at the airport was plunged into darkness for some time last night and some of the lights and conveyor belts continued to be non-operational this morning.

A high level meeting of top officials of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which is in charge of security at the airport, was being held to assess the situation.

Sources said the possibility of deploying CISF personnel for cleaning up the airport premises was being considered at the meeting.

An Air India spokesman said ten AI domestic flights departed from here while eight arrived from different destinations on schedule.

Private airlines operators claimed that their flights were also on schedule, though arrival of a few flights was delayed because of the situation here.

UNI XC DPM SY DB1352