WATCH: 25k job seekers cause near-stampede in Mumbai airport for interviews

A recruitment drive by Air India Airport Services Ltd (AIASL) for airport loaders descended into chaos at Mumbai airport yesterday, as more than 25,000 hopefuls turned up to vie for just 600 vacancies. The overwhelming turnout left Air India staff struggling to manage the massive crowd, leading to a stampede-like situation, reported NDTV.

Visuals from the scene showed a frantic crowd jostling to reach the form counters. Reports indicated that applicants endured hours of waiting without food and water, leading to many feeling unwell.

 

Airport loaders play a critical role in the aviation industry, responsible for loading and unloading luggage, operating baggage belts, and driving ramp tractors. Each aircraft requires at least five loaders to handle luggage, cargo, and food supplies. Despite the demanding nature of the job, the position offers a salary ranging between Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 per month, with most loaders earning over Rs 30,000 after overtime allowances. The educational criteria for the job are relaxed, but candidates must be physically strong.

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This incident in Mumbai follows closely on the heels of another chaotic recruitment drive in Gujarat’s Ankleshwar. 

A viral video recently surfaced showing hundreds of jobseekers pushing and shoving at a walk-in interview for just 10 positions at a private firm. The rush was so intense that a railing collapsed under the weight of the jobseekers, though fortunately, no serious injuries were reported.

The Congress party seized upon these incidents to criticise the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). They claimed the events highlight the failure of the BJP’s ‘Gujarat model’ and accused the saffron party of spreading unemployment across the country. 

Local BJP MP Mansukh Vasava, however, placed the blame on the private firm for not properly managing the recruitment process. “They were filling up only 10 vacancies and should have specified the criteria properly instead of holding an open interview. At some level, the incident occurred because of the company. We are worried about it and steps are being taken to ensure such incidents don’t happen again,” he said.

The video of the Mumbai airport chaos has also drawn political reactions, with Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad using it to target the BJP. Gaikwad remarked on the dire unemployment situation, stating that young people are so desperate for jobs that they are willing to “fight wars for Russia and Israel”. “Whenever they hear of jobs, they gather in thousands and there is a fear of stampede,” she said in a Hindi post on X. Meanwhile, Air India is yet to respond to the viral video.