Airport employees set for indefinite strike

New Delhi: The Airport Authority of India's employees are going on a indefinite strike beginning Tuesday midnight. They are seeking a roll back on decision to close existing airports of Bangalore and Hyderabad.

While most are looking forward to the new airports, the idea of closing down the older ones hasn't gone down well with many.

The decision to go on strike comes after the Airport Authority employees' talks with the government to resolve the matter failed.

The union claims the strike will hit operations at 127 airports across the country. However, it is believed that the airports in Delhi and Mumbai will not be affected.

The union wants the present Bangalore and Hyderabad airports to continue functioning even after the new airports there are opened.

It also says the authority will lose business worth 400 crore rupees if the present airports are closed.

Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel had made it clear that the present Hyderabad and Bangalore airports will have to shut down once the new ones at Shamshabad and Devanahalli become operational.

"As per contractual obligation the old Bangalore and Hyderabad airport has to be shut. The problem is that of connectivity not so much of the new airport itself. We wish the state government had taken care of the connectivity as we took for building the airport,” says Civil Aviation Minister, Praful Patel.

Now, the Civil Aviation Minister's statement has almost sealed the fate of the two airports, however, the final decision on closure of old airports will be taken by the courts. The Karnataka High Court on Monday admitted writ petitions challenging the Centre's proposed action to close down operations of the existing Bangalore airport once the Bangalore International Airport is opened for traffic.

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