Chaos at Delhi Airport, Hundreds Stranded as Lufthansa Pilots Begin Strike — Video

CC BY-SA 4.0 / Bharatahs / Indira Gandhi International AirportSculpture of hasta mudras or hand gestures at Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India
Sculpture of hasta mudras or hand gestures at Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India - Sputnik International, 1920, 02.09.2022
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In July, 20,000 ground staff of German airline Lufthansa went on strike over pay, forcing the air carrier to cancel more than 1,000 flights. Now, pilots have carried out similar action, grounding 800 flights.
About 150 passengers and family members gathered and protested at the departure terminal of Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) on Friday after the cancellation of two international flights by German carrier Deutsche Lufthansa.
As the passengers faced inconvenience, they turned furious and blocked the airport entrance and roads leading to the airport while shouting slogans.
"The crowd was demanding a refund of money or alternate arrangement to be made for their relatives," a Delhi Police officer told reporters.
The protestors cooled down after Delhi Police and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) made assurances that "efforts were being made to make alternate arrangements for the passengers by the airline's company," reported Indian news agency Press Trust. The CISF is responsible for providing security at the airports.
Two Lufthansa flights were scheduled to depart from IGI to Frankfurt and Munich that day.
"Frankfurt-bound Lufthansa flight was scheduled for departure at 2.50 am carrying 300 passengers, and 400 passengers of Munich-bound Lufthansa flight was scheduled for departure at 1.10 am," the news outlet reported.
Lufthansa pilots have called for a one-day worldwide strike on Friday over salary appraisals. The German airline had to cancel almost 800 flights globally at its main bases in Frankfurt and Munich, affecting 130,000 passengers.
The pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) said that it wants a "5.5 percent pay rise this year for its more than 5,000 pilots, as well as automatic inflation adjustments for 2023."
In response, Lufthansa executive board member for human resources Michael Niggemann told Reuters, "We have no understanding for the VC's call to strike whatsoever. The employer side made a perfect and socially balanced offer — despite the continuing burdens of the coronavirus crisis and the uncertain prospects for the global economy.”
Lufthansa offered pilots 900 euros ($901) in extra monthly wages in two stages over an 18-month term. However, VCs refused to accept the offer.
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