"I had to leave for an official engagement to New Delhi early this morning. My Air India flight was cancelled due to the pilots' strike. I had no option but to pay the last minute fare for another airline as it was important to attend the meeting," said Anukul Bhavsar, a communications professional.
Another passenger who had promised his parents a pilgrimage to Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh missed his flight to Hyderabad.
"My flight to Hyderabad was cancelled, because of which we eventually missed the flight to Tirupati," said Yashesh Mehta, an administration professional.
"We are trying to figure out a way and might have to postpone the plan," he added.
Several others going on vacations were seen making frantic enquiries for tickets with other airlines.
The pilots' strike was called Tuesday midnight. Till Wednesday morning, Air India had managed to operate 10 flights from Mumbai by roping in the services of executive pilots.
The pilots, owing allegiance to the Indian Commercial Pilots Association of the former Indian Airlines which merged with Air India, have struck work demanding parity in pay with the Air India pilots and issues related to working conditions.
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