Operations of Kingfisher Airlines were affected , including in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, on Sunday as engineers struck work protesting non-payment of salaries.

Sources told Business Line that on Sunday evening, passengers were stuck inside an Airbus A-320 of the airline in Mumbai after engineers refused to open its doors.

The engineers, as also pilots and other employees, have not been paid for the past seven months. Sources claimed that a similar incident also occurred at Delhi airport on Saturday, when passengers were made to wait inside the aircraft for about 20 minutes.

Cancellation

On Sunday, at least five flights from Delhi were delayed by up to 30 minutes because of problems with engineers, sources said.

The airline also cancelled four flights from Delhi on Sunday.

Sources claimed that engineers also roughed up an airline manager in Mumbai

Incidentally, this is not the first time that the airline’s schedule has been disrupted due to sections of employees striking against non-payment of wages.

Earlier this year, the airline’s employees at various airports walked off duty to protest non-payment of salaries.

Similarly, pilots too resorted to strikes several times for the same reason.

When contacted, Kingfisher officials said that they “will have to crosscheck” this latest development.

Declining fleet

The cash-strapped airline, which owes over Rs 7,000 crore to various banks, has seen a huge reduction in the number of daily flights that it operates.

The airline currently has a fleet of under 20 aircraft, down from over 64 in January this year.

> ashwini.phadnis@thehindu.co.in

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