UNI

New Delhi, Aug 3: Employees of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) today threatened mass demonstrations on August 17 and 18 across the country to protest against the government's handing over of Delhi and Mumbai airports to private consortia of companies.

AAI staffers belonging to engineering, communications, maintenance and ground handling under the banner of 14,000-member Airports Authority Employees Union (AAEU) will participate in the strike.

''We will be protesting against AAI employees being pushed to new joint venture companies which have been formed to modernise Delhi and Mumbai airports,'' said AAEU general secretary M K Ghoshal.

He said demonstrations will start at 0700 hrs on August 17 and last till 1900 hrs the next day.

The GMR group-led joint venture, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), has taken over reins of the city airport from the AAI. Several senior AAI officers have resigned and joined DIAL.

As per the operations, maintenance and development agreement (OMDA), the joint venture will need to absorb 60 per cent of present airport employees.