The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) may pat its back for running the operational facilities smoothly, but it could not manage the housekeeping part with equal ease. The problems were more pronounced at the international terminal. What greeted passengers on Thursday were empty coffee cups, chips packets, leftover food and dust. For the last two days, the ramp and the terminal building had not been cleaned.

“It is more dirty than ever, that is the only fallout of the non-cooperation movement. Other operational facilities, including conveyor belts, x-ray machines are all working well,” said IFS officer Ram Ratan, who returned from Kabul on Thursday afternoon.

Around 350 housekeeping staffers posted at the international terminal are employees of the Airports Authority of India (AAI). No private employee works at this terminal, which explains the messy toilets and garbage both inside and outside the building.

The airport authorities alleged that members of the union were interfering with the cleaning work. “We are traying to keep the terminal building clean. But we did not seek the help of the private staff for the outside ramp in fear the union might get violent to stop them,” said the duty manager.

The manager’s office was also covered with dust and grime. Members of the union could be seen adding to the litter by tearing off newspapers and coffee cups.

The impact of the protest was also felt at Terminal I-A. “There were boarding cards littered all over the counters and trolleys were seen scattered. The restrooms were dirty,” said a Jetlite official. Terminal 1-B, which did manage well on the first day, also felt the impact on Thursday. Aerobridges continued to be dysfunctional and airlines complained of difficulties in arranging for stepladders and coaches.