Gulf passengers hit hard by AI strike

Kozhikodu/Kochi: The passengers to the Gulf countries have been hit hard by the ongoing Air India strike. For Mehmud and Ismail bound for Dubai from Karipur, not many options were left. Either cancel the ticket and take another one or wait to see if Air India arranges another flight. But buying a ticket in another airlines will cost more.
Air India Express has the cheapest fare. Now a normal ticket costs Rs 2000 more than the charge for the same in Air India. Both men were confused. They hoped to get help from Union Minister Mullappally Ramachandran, but the announcement came that he would be coming late. There was no time to lose and the frustrated men headed to the Air India counter to check the alternative arrangement.
Just like them, hundreds of Gulf passengers are suffering due to the ongoing strike by a section of Air India pilots.
In the last three days, Air India's daily flights to Dubai and Sharjah (AI 937 and AI 997) from Kozhikode were cancelled. Though 280 passengers were supposed to travel by one flight, only one additional flight having a capacity of 186 passengers was pressed into service till Saturday noon. According to Shanavas Gaffer, branch manager of a leading travel agency, a Jumbo aircraft is likely to be pressed into service on Sunday covering Dubai and Sharjah to meet the emergency. But there is no official confirmation regarding this.
However, no Air India Express flights starting from Kozhikode were cancelled till Saturday evening.
As almost all the domestic flights of Air India were badly affected in Kerala on Saturday, an official spokesperson of Air India said in Kochi that the domestic passengers were given the option of either re-booking or full refund of the ticket charge.
01/05/11 Athul Lal A G and Byju Aryad/ExpressBuzz

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

Categories: Air India May 2011, Airports May 2011, Foreign May 2011