Bangalore Airport not up to mark: public

Bangalore: Even as the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) sought to complain about running the international airport at a loss, the public consensus is that the airport does not meet international standards at all and that HAL airport should be reopened.
The airport in no way can be called an international one as it lacks basic amenities, including restrooms, seating lounges and insufficient baggage delivery belts. The airports at Malaysia , Thailand and Singapore are much superior, said former Managing Director of HAL, A K Saxena, initiating a public hearing of joint legislative committee on BIAL on Thursday.
It could be recalled here that the government had constituted a Joint House Committee to go into the alleged ?inadequate facilities? at the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) under the chairmanship of Dr.Hemachandra Sagar MLA who had also expressed similar views about the international airport.
Speaking to the presspersons after the meeting, chairman of the committee Hemachandra Sagar, MLA, said the quality of facilities at the airport were not ?truly of international quality? and there were various shortcomings. The chairman said the committee would like to study the facilities at other international airports abroad.The Committee has leaders from all political parties including, members including D.K. Shivakumar, N.Yogish Bhat, H.D. Revanna, Qamar-ul Islam, Nadagouda, Manohar Maski and Abdul Azim.
The Joint Legislature Committee has also viewed seriously the complaints from the people including the lack of facilities and exorbitant rates of simple snacks at the snack bars. A simple veg burgers sprinkled with potato chips costs nothing less than 100 rupees and a simple Chat item costs more than 40 rupees. The dirty aerated MNC drinks come at a hefty bill of Rs. 45 per 300 ml. which is much higher than any of the international branded eateries like KFC, McDonalds and Pizza Hut.
The committee also has viewed seriously the complaints by senior citizens that there are no seating arrangements in the foyer of the arrival lounge. People have to keep standing for hours in case of a flight delay. If anybody has to use a toilet or wants to sit down he has to take a twenty rupees entry fee to the lounge and use the facilities. There is no way but to squat on the floor if anybody wanted to take the weight off his legs. Even then there is a security guy who asks them not to squat on the floor and the reason he gives is that it will harm the decorum of the airport.
14/01/08 Mangalorean.com

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: Airports Nov 2008