Crumbling infrastructure is a ground reality
Pulkit Vasudha
Ahmedabad, August 23:THE traveller for whom the Ahmedabad International Airport is a gateway to the State — the concept of ‘Nirmal Gujarat’ has been reduced to an ugly joke. The airport’s infrastructure has barely kept pace with the ever-increasing number of airlines fighting for airspace over city skies.
The irony: Ten years ago, the airport was certified ISO 9001:2000. Since then, it has received Environmental Management System (EMS 14-2004) and Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS 18001) certificates. It will also be certified Integrated Management System (IMS) by end of September, this year.
What’s wrong here
* Only one entry gate for all passengers
* Two boarding gates but only one is used due to shortage of manpower
* Ticketing counters not distributed properly
* Immigration Dept has six PSIs to handle 21 sanctioned posts; 1 inspector instead of three
* Parking spaces grossly inadequate
However, the mess at the airport continues. It has only one entry gate for all passengers. Airport sources said there are two boarding gates but only one is used due to shortage of manpower. Station manager of an international passenger carrier said, “There are bound to be flight delays when passengers of two or three flights begin boarding at the same time.”
The long queue outside the airport is an extension of passengers making their way to the baggage-screening x-ray machine and ticket counters inside. Pankaj Shah, a harried passenger, said, “Even the air-conditioning fails to work due to the presence of a large number of passengers.”
The ticketing counters at the airport are also not properly distributed. For instance, Air India—¿ which operates 23 flights a week and accounts for 60 per cent of flight operations at the airpor— ¿ has five counters. The other 12 counters are allotted to Jet Airways (three flights a week) and Indian (12 flight a week), Singapore Airlines, Kuwait Airways and Air Arabia.
Moreover, till the time immigration and customs officials decide to take up their positions, passengers have to wait for their passport and security checks to begin. The immigration department has only six police sub-inspectors filling the 21 sanctioned posts, and only one inspector, in place of the estimated three. These six officers work in shifts, which often extend up to 24 hours. They keep shuffling between the arrival and departure lounges according to flight schedules.
Pankaj Bhargava, manager of Air India, Gujarat, said, “Poor management of resources at the airport has increased the chaos manifold.” Passenger convenience has been completely sacrificed in the process of the renovating the airport in April this year. For example, airline front offices have been shifted around the building, which now face an unofficial parking lot and a building under construction. Therefore, passengers wishing to approach airline offices struggle to find their way.
In spite of renovating the airport, during heavy showers in June, passengers had to wade through four inches of water at the airport. The corners of the airport have not been spared of tobacco spit. The washbasins in the stinking washrooms are clogged and full to the brim.
Moreover, there are no ATMs at the airport. The small Apollo clinic and the telephone booth outside the security post are mostly unmanned. Newsline found the office of the Airport Terminal Manager to be vacant for most part of the day. The parking spaces are also grossly inadequate. Yet, the airport has given the green signal for more aircrafts to operate.
Source: Indian Express