The Hindu Business Line : Slow to take off

Is it too much to expect Indian airports to have facilities common at world-class international airports, where travellers can spend hours without getting bored?

The Cochin International Airport at Kochi

First impressions, it is said, make lasting impressions. So what kind of an impression would a visitor landing at an international airport in India have? Never-ending queues at the immigration counters, endless wait for the baggage to arrive, and a battery of touts pestering you, wanting to take you wherever they want. If these are the impressions and experiences that decide whether a tourist is likely to come for a return visit, then India surely ranks pretty low down in the list.

The situation is perhaps the worst at the two major international airports in Delhi and Mumbai, which between them handle the bulk of the traffic. For the financial year ending March 31, 2003, these two airports accounted for 49 per cent of the passenger traffic and 59 per cent of the cargo traffic handled by airports in India. There is limited terminal capacity at these two airports which has led to congestion, clubbing together of flights and delays in passenger clearances.

The Naresh Chandra Committee, constituted by the Government to draw up a road map for the civil aviation sector, says the situation at the two metro airports is exacerbated by outdated infrastructure, inadequate ground-handling systems and night-landing facilities, and poor passengers amenities.

On the whole, India has over 400 airports, out of which the Airports Authority of India (AAI) manages 94. There are 28 civil enclaves in military stations. And while it may appear that the country has considerable airport capacity, only 62 of the airports are in use while the rest are inactive. In such a scenario, it would be asking for too much, perhaps, to expect Indian airports to have facilities common at most world-class international airports — a plush and extensive duty-free area like the ones at the Changi airport in Singapore or Heathrow in London. Here a traveller can spend hours without getting bored. There are also airports, like the one at Bangkok, where a variety of restaurants offer different cuisine. The Minister for Civil Aviation, Praful Patel, recently told Parliament that a study commissioned by the AAI found the customer satisfaction index for Mumbai and Delhi airports, compared to the IATA (International Air Transport Association) Global Monitoring Survey of 18 parameters, was 2.3 and 2.6 respectively, as against a world average of 3.7.

These are perhaps some of the reasons why the Government is keen to modernise these two airports and has already received the Expression of Interest (EoI) from 10 parties, including Bharati Enterprises which has tied up with Changi Airport, Singapore, and DLF Universal which is partnering with Malaysia Airport Holding Berhad.

Besides these two entities, the list of parties interested in participating in the modernisation and restructuring of the two metro airports reads like a virtual who's who of Indian business. The Government has indicated that the airports at Kolkata and Chennai will also be upgraded in similar manner. Authorities have already sanctioned funds and initiated moves to upgrade facilities at various airports. On the anvil for the Indira Gandhi International airport in Delhi are plans to have a separate lane for private cars and taxis and a separate `meet and greet' area for visitors. Besides, dialogue is also on with the different departments of the Government to facilitate a quicker passage for travellers through the immigration counters.

A list of facilities already in place shows that though slow, there is some progress in making our airports passenger-friendly. To begin with, apart from refurbishing the duty-free shops for the sale of handicraft items at the international passenger terminal, kiosks with facilities for Internet browsing and telephony have been launched at the Delhi International airport. Besides, in an effort to improve baggage delivery, the length of two conveyor belts has been increased at the international arrival terminal and all the six baggage conveyor systems have been replaced at the international arrival wing. Similarly, one additional arrival conveyor has been provided at terminal 2-C at the Mumbai airport to facilitate speedier baggage clearance. The focus at the Mumbai airport is also on aesthetics and 150 sets of cushioned chairs have been placed for the comfort of travellers.

In addition, trolleys with brakes have been introduced at airports in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram.

It is not only the major airports that are the focus of attention. A `new airport initiative' programme has been launched at 25 airports to give them a facelift and make them world-class. The AAI has already drawn up a phased plan for the expansion and modernisation of smaller airports like the one at Madurai. However, this is subject to the State Government handing over about six hectares of land to the AAI. In addition, the AAI has taken up the work of runway extension from 6,000 ft to 7,500 ft and has finalised proposals and scope of work for the construction of a new terminal building, apron, taxiway, car park area and other related infrastructure facilities so that a larger Airbus A-320 aircraft can land at the Khajuraho airport in Madhya Pradesh, an international tourist attraction. Furthermore, in an effort to make security less obtrusive, doorframe metal detectors and 1,060 hand-held metal detectors have been installed at various airports throughout the country. While compared to international standards, our airports continue to be cramped and shabby, it should be remembered that the powers that be have woken up to this task only recently. Given time, the situation can only get better for air passengers, even though it will be quite a while before we catch up with a Changi, Schipol (Amsterdam) or Dubai airport.

Picture by H. Vibhu

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