Madurai: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) collects Rs.45 per head from non-passengers for letting them enter the lounge of the newly built Rs.130-crore airport terminal building here.
But it does not provide as basic a necessity as a wheelchair to the aged and differently-abled persons.
Those who visit the airport, either to see off their friends and relatives or welcome them on arrival, have to either stand, however long it takes, near the entrance to the terminal as there is no seating arrangement in the place or purchase entry tickets to get seated in the lounge.
Despite choosing to pay a heavy sum for a seat, the aged and infirm are not provided with wheelchairs to facilitate their travel from the vehicles to the lounge. They are forced to walk down the entire stretch with the assistance of the railings because wheelchairs are offered only to passengers.
12/04/13 Mohamed Imrtanullah S/The Hindu
