Airports face holiday blues

Mumbai: The resources of the domestic airport is stretched to its limit with 40 landings and take-offs every hour. According to the Airport Authority, there are 700 landings and take-offs at the Mumbai airport every day.The fact that it’s holiday season makes matters worse.
Lack of amenities like a visitors’ room, smoking lounge and no restaurants adds to the problem. It’s the same with the international airport. Airlines are doing their best to handle the situation by training their crew to handle angry and disruptive passengers. “The environment at the airport is pathetic.” said the Spicejet spokesperson.
According to a Spicjet source, around 73 per cent of the delays are due to external reasons beyond their control like VIP movement, air traffic congestion, air force or navy exercise and bad weather.
Manish Khalghatgi, spokesperson for the Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), which is handling the airport modernisation, said: “We are upgrading terminal 2B and 2C which will be refurbished by April 2008.” “After that, we will be closing down terminal 2A and shifting the airlines to terminal 2B and 2C which will result in temporary dislocation of services.”
The Director General of Civil Aviation has asked the airlines to nominate a senior level officer as Nodal Officer to take care of passengers’ needs.
09/12/07 Naveeta Singh/Daily News & Analysis

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Categories: Airports Dec 2007