Shift to T3 delays 11 domestic AI flights

New Delhi: Air India's decision to shift arrivals of 11 of its domestic flights to Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport is causing inconvenience to passengers of the airline's other routes. Delays in baggage handling are further aggravating the situation. On Monday, passengers of flight AI 188 (Singapore-Delhi-Amritsar) and three more flights had to wait for five hours to reclaim their baggage, as the airline staff failed to coordinate effectively between domestic and international flights.
Another reason why Air India flights are getting delayed is because the national carrier is managing domestic operations from two terminals (1A and T3), October 31 onwards.
While Air India is handling domestic arrivals at T3, it is handling both domestic arrivals and departures at Terminal 1A. However, on Sunday, there was only one staff member to manage the departure of three flights.
"The domestic section of the Terminal 3 (T3) is not yet connected with the aerobridge. Since operations were scheduled to start from November 14, we had to carry the baggage to the terminal in trolleys," said an Air India spokesperson.
According to sources, baggage handling of Air India flights from Chennai, Bangalore and Canada also got delayed.
01/11/10 Faizan Haider/Hindustan Times

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Categories: Air India Domestic Nov 2010, Air India Nov 2010, Airports Nov 2010