The Hindu

MANGALORE, Feb 4: Flights to and from Bangalore and Mumbai operated according to schedule from Bajpe airport here on Thursday, the second day of the strike by employees of Airports Authority of India (AAI). The Airport Authority of India Employees' Joint Forum (AAIEJF) has called the strike. In all, six flights to Mumbai and Ban galore operated as per schedule, Airport Director M.R. Vasudeva said.

Though personnel from the administration, accounts and fire and emergency services stayed away from work, Vasudeva said this did not affect flight operations. "Personnel of Air Traffic Control and Communications are working and we utilised the services of CISF personnel for fire and emergency services," he said.

Convener of the Mangalore branch of AAIEJF, V.M. Shivanna Poojary, in a press release here said that according to instructions from their head office in New Delhi, local members of the forum started the agitation on Wednesday against the decision of the Centre to privatise the Delhi and Mumbai airports.