International Airport home to all species

CHENNAI: The Anna International Airport is always abuzz with activities. Not just the arrival and departure of passengers of the two-legged kind, but also those with 4 legs and often, the avian creatures as well – all of whom can be seen wandering in and out of the terminals at any time.

At a time when the Union and State governments are pushing for a sprawling international airport at Parandur promising services of global standards, the existing service at the international airport in Meenambakkam leaves a lot to be desired.

“On a daily basis, around 50,000 people use the city airport, and it doubles during weekends, but passenger amenities are far from satisfactory,” admitted an insider at the airport.

To start with, the most common complaint from passengers are shortage of trolleys. They lament over broken trolleys, and those that have clearly seen better days with missing and bent wheels. Finding trolley in good workable condition is a headache especially after flying long hours.

“Recently, I loaded all my luggage on a trolley and then noticed it was broken. So I had to find another trolley, and ensure all the parts were in working condition, and shift my entire luggage to that. It was painful and tiresome especially after I had been travelling for several hours,” rued John, a regular traveller, and urged the airport staff to check the trolleys and ensure all were in good condition.

Renuka S, a passenger from Chennai, who had arrived to board a flight, concurred with John, and added: “Even after booking a wheelchair in advance, I couldn’t get one. There was no assistance from the staff either. I had to limp and drag myself with a dislocated knee to the check-in counter.”

Even wheelchair users suffer in this airport. Usually at most international airports across the world, when a wheelchair user is about to arrive, the staff would be ready at the drop-off point to pick them up and guide them to boarding. But at the international airport here, wheelchair users have to wait for a long time.

Passengers have also pointed out that outside the international terminal, there was too much noise with whistle sounds and barking dogs even at midnight. While all other airports keep the decibel levels low, the Chennai airport fails miserably in meeting accepted standards of noise pollution. Many passengers quipped to DT Next that at times “it feels like a bus terminal at the zoo”.

C Dinesh, who recently visited the airport with his family for a trip to Dubai, said that the security check in the terminal takes too long due to a shortage of manpower. “It’s the same situation every day; sometimes it even takes an hour,” he added.

A bottle of water costs Rs 125 and there are no cheaper options available, said Andrew of Tambaram. “During my trip to New Delhi, I found that the Delhi airport has water-vending machines, and there, water could be filled for just Rs 10 for 300 ml,” he stated.

Passengers also criticised the display boards in the arrival terminal. “It’s not readable at all, the fonts are so small,” said a passenger to DT Next. Senior citizens, and those with a vision problem, often tell officials about the difficulty in reading small boards.

When contacted, an AAI official admitted that there were some inconveniences for passengers due to the ongoing airport expansion work. “We’re doing our best to provide passengers with all the facilities. After the construction work is over, passengers will have a hassle-free experience in the airport. We take passengers’ complaints seriously and will address all their grievances,” the official said.