Shutdown jitters log out airport

Kolkata: On the eve of a very busy day at Kolkata airport — more than 8,500 passengers are booked in Wednesday's flights — chaos reigned at every booking counter in the airport and across the city.
Thanks to Bengal's bandh culture, the Citu-sponsored industrial strike is turning into a total shutdown in Kolkata, grounding every flight supposed to take off after 6 am on Wednesday. Even air traffic controllers, who are exempted from the strike, are afraid of joining duty.
Only Lufthansa announced that it would stick to schedule.
Be it the Jet Airways city office on Park Street or the Kingfisher ticketing counter beside the departure gate of the airport's domestic terminal, every airline office had long queues.
With the Airports Authority Employees' Union (AAEU) deciding to join the strike called by the Committee of Public Sector Trade Unions (CPSTU), all flight operations will be stopped after 6 am on Wednesday, sources said.
Airlines are trying to squeeze in a few flights before the clampdown starts. But it's not proving to be easy. Jet Airways has rescheduled its Dhaka flight to 5.30 am on Wednesday. Air India will fly to Mumbai and Port Blair and IndiGO will also operate its Mumbai flights — all before 6 am. Passengers of remaining flights will be accommodated on other dates.
Air traffic controllers find themselves facing the same anxiety as fliers. They fear they might be stopped from entering the airport on Wednesday. They have worked out a roster, which would ensure that all officials enter the airport on Tuesday night and stay till Thursday morning.
20/08/08 Arpit Basu/Times of India

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: Airports Aug 2008, Indian Aviation- In General Aug 2008