Around 700 passengers were stranded at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport's Terminal-3 in New Delhi after Germany-based Lufthansa airline cancelled two of its flights due to a strike called by pilots.
Hundreds of people, relatives and family members of the stranded passengers gathered outside the airport and demanded refunds or alternate arrangements, the police said.
Two flights of Lufthansa, one of them scheduled to depart at 2:50 am for Frankfurt with 300 passengers and another for Munich with 400 passengers and scheduled to depart at 1:10 am, were cancelled.
A senior police officer told PTI that on Friday at 12.15 am they got the information that a crowd had gathered on the main road in front of departure gate number 1, Terminal 3 IGI Airport.
In a statement, Lufthansa said it was "working with joint forces to return its flight operations to normal status as quickly as possible". "Nevertheless, the effects of the strike may still lead to individual flight cancellations or delays this Saturday and Sunday," it said.
Strike by pilots
Pilots staged a one-day strike to demand better pay and conditions. Due to the strike, the airline said about 800 flights were grounded at its two biggest hubs, Frankfurt and Munich.
Lufthansa said it had offered a one-time raise of 900 euros, amounting to a 5 percent increase for senior pilots and an 18 percent increase for those starting the profession.
The pilots union Vereinigung Cockpit had called for a 5.5 percent raise this year and an automatic above-inflation increase in 2023.
Complaints by people
A passenger named Sikander Sharma contacted the Prime Minister's Office and Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia to intervene in the matter. He rued that the staff had vanished and no food, accommodation, or alternative flight rebooking was offered.
Another passenger told ANI, "I was supposed to go to Germany by Lufthansa airlines, but the flight got cancelled. I have booked tickets with Emirate and will be going via Dubai, where I have a layover of 14 hours. We are yet to know when we will get the refund."
Craig Bruce, a passenger, tweeted to Lufthansa airlines complaining about no help being extended for the stranded people.
With inputs from agencies
First Published: Sept 2, 2022 4:09 PM IST
