Thursday, September 29 2005 14:16 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: No flights arrived in Patna from New Delhi and Mumbai since this morning and commercial activities were affected due to a countrywide general strike called by the Left trade unions today (Sept 29, 2005) against the economic reform policies of the center and privatization of Delhi and Mumbai airports.

Director of Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport, Patna, Atul Dikshit told sources that though he had made all contingency plans to ensure that flight services here were not disturbed, no flights arrived from New Delhi and Mumbai

He said IAF personnel, apart from two fire-tenders with crew from the district administration, have been kept on stand-by as several personnel of the AAI have turned up as part of the contingency plans to ensure normal operations of flights from Patna.

The airport wore a deserted look since this morning due to the strike.

Convener of the Airport Authority Engineers Joint Federation and president of the Airports Authority Employees Union (AAEU) Patna, S K Burman, claimed that the strike was total.

Commercial activities were hit as banks remained closed and employees of the Insurance sectors staying away from work, official sources said.

Employees of banks and insurance companies staged demonstrations in front of their offices in the state capital expressing solidarity with the Left trade unions protesting against economic reform policies and privatization of Delhi an Mumbai airports.