Immigration holds up flyers at airport
Less Staff, More Bags Add To Problems
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Chennai: Flying into Chennai from abroad has become ahassle, as long queues at immigration and baggage delays irk passengers at the city airport. If the flight lands during peak hours, people spend a long time at immigration counters and baggage claim. It often takes more than an hour or sometimes two hours, for a passenger to complete formalities and walk out after the flight touches down. Departing passengers suffer delay at security check, forcing airlines asking passengers to reach the airport well in advance.
Immigration and baggage delays have become routine during peak hours at night especially after an increase in passenger traffic due to festive season. Air Passengers Association of India (APAI) national president, D Sudhakara Reddy said, “It takes 30 to 90minutes for immigration clearance based on flight movements. Airport says there is a staff shortage, but why should passengers suffer? It takes a minimum of 30 to 45minutes for baggage claim due to bunching of flights.”
A senior official of Airports Authority of India (AAI) said, “There has been a sudden rush of travellers in the past one week, probably due to the travel season. The long queues at the immigration counters were discussed with officials. They have added 12 extra people and are also planning to get another 30 people to man the counters. But they may have to keep all the counters open and keep the passenger flow steady.”
AAI is planning to redesign the existing counters to make more space. “If airlines can scatter their schedule in a span of four hours, the queues can be eliminated. But the schedules are back to back and departing passengers too do not come to the airport three hours in advance. The bunching of flights and bunching of passengers cause immigration delays. We will be able to open 40 to 50 counters when the new terminal is ready.”
As more than 27 flights from abroad land in Chennai between 11.30pm to 8am, there is pressure on baggage handlers. Each wide-body flight will have at least 500 bags. Passengers have to wait for more than an hour after immigration to get the bags.
Less Staff, More Bags Add To Problems
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Chennai: Flying into Chennai from abroad has become ahassle, as long queues at immigration and baggage delays irk passengers at the city airport. If the flight lands during peak hours, people spend a long time at immigration counters and baggage claim. It often takes more than an hour or sometimes two hours, for a passenger to complete formalities and walk out after the flight touches down. Departing passengers suffer delay at security check, forcing airlines asking passengers to reach the airport well in advance.
Immigration and baggage delays have become routine during peak hours at night especially after an increase in passenger traffic due to festive season. Air Passengers Association of India (APAI) national president, D Sudhakara Reddy said, “It takes 30 to 90minutes for immigration clearance based on flight movements. Airport says there is a staff shortage, but why should passengers suffer? It takes a minimum of 30 to 45minutes for baggage claim due to bunching of flights.”
A senior official of Airports Authority of India (AAI) said, “There has been a sudden rush of travellers in the past one week, probably due to the travel season. The long queues at the immigration counters were discussed with officials. They have added 12 extra people and are also planning to get another 30 people to man the counters. But they may have to keep all the counters open and keep the passenger flow steady.”
AAI is planning to redesign the existing counters to make more space. “If airlines can scatter their schedule in a span of four hours, the queues can be eliminated. But the schedules are back to back and departing passengers too do not come to the airport three hours in advance. The bunching of flights and bunching of passengers cause immigration delays. We will be able to open 40 to 50 counters when the new terminal is ready.”
As more than 27 flights from abroad land in Chennai between 11.30pm to 8am, there is pressure on baggage handlers. Each wide-body flight will have at least 500 bags. Passengers have to wait for more than an hour after immigration to get the bags.
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