Air India Job Interview Chaos: 15,000 Apply for 1,800 Vacancies

Air India Job Interview in Mumbai Sees 15,000 Applicants for 1,800 Vacancies

Mumbai, July 16, 2024 – A near-stampede occurred in Mumbai’s Kalina as thousands of job seekers turned up for a walk-in interview conducted by Air India Airport Services Ltd. The event, intended to fill 1,800 vacancies for handyman and utility agent positions, saw an overwhelming response, with around 15,000 people showing up. This resulted in chaotic scenes and led to police intervention to manage the crowd.

Job Interview Chaos in Mumbai’s Kalina

On Tuesday, Air India Airport Services Ltd held a walk-in interview at their Mumbai Kalina office to fill positions for handyman and utility agent roles. Despite the limited vacancies, a massive crowd of job seekers gathered, leading to a chaotic situation. The scene quickly became unmanageable, with applicants pushing and shoving, prompting authorities to ask them to submit their resumes and leave.

The Overwhelming Response: 15,000 Job Seekers for 1,800 Positions

According to George Abram, General Secretary of the Aviation Industry Employees Guild, the recruitment drive was poorly managed. Abram claimed that approximately 50,000 job seekers turned up, far exceeding the company’s expectations. “There were around 50,000 people who turned up as per my sources there. We had warned the company against such drives. There was a 1 km-long queue. Police had to be called. Applicants were asked to leave their application, and they would be called later. There are vacancies for 1,786 handyman and 16 utility agents. This shows the joblessness among the people,” Abram stated.

However, Rambabu Chintalacheruvu, CEO of AI Airport Services Limited, provided a different estimate, stating that “about 15,000 people” came to submit their application forms.

Qualifications and Employment Terms

The job openings were for handyman and utility agent positions, requiring a minimum qualification of SSC/10th pass and a maximum age limit of 23 years. The selected candidates would be employed on a fixed-term contract basis for three years, with a salary of Rs 22,530 per month. Despite the relatively low educational requirements and temporary nature of the jobs, the overwhelming turnout highlighted the severe unemployment issues faced by many individuals.

The Larger Picture: Unemployment Crisis

The incident in Mumbai is not an isolated one. Just a week earlier, on July 9, a similar situation occurred in Gujarat, where around 1,000 job seekers turned up for walk-in interviews held by a firm in Ankleshwar for only 40 vacancies. These events underscore the severe unemployment crisis in India, where even low-paying, temporary jobs attract massive crowds of desperate job seekers.

The chaotic scenes at the Air India job interview in Mumbai’s Kalina reflect a larger unemployment crisis affecting many parts of India. With thousands of people turning up for limited vacancies, the situation highlighted the urgent need for more organized and efficient recruitment processes. Furthermore, it drew attention to the desperate need for job opportunities to address the high levels of unemployment in the country.

Aakhir Tak Editor-in-Chief

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