Passengers miffed at shelving of plan to privatise Chennai airport

While visiting the city in the last week of February, Minister for Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu said that the Chennai airport would not be privatised. “This [existing] airport is close to our heart. We want to better the services by ourselves,” he said.

This led to a barrage of comments on X (formerly Twitter) from flyers miffed at the announcement and they listed the issues they faced and urged the Centre to privatise the airport. Some of the passengers said they had been facing a host of issues at the airport, from cab pick-up to maintenance of toilets, and its privatisation might help to offer better facilities and services.

Parking not accessible

Ramkumar, an air passenger, says that in recent times, one of the most exasperating things about the Chennai airport is how passengers are forced to walk to the multi-level car parking (MLCP) for cab pick-up. “This building is not easily accessible. Though there are shuttle services, many first-time flyers are unaware that these services are meant for dropping them at the MLCP. It is not easy to identify, too, and the number of lifts is inadequate. This kind of planning doesn’t help passengers in any way,” he says.

R. Sivakumar, another frequent flyer, says he is disappointed with the announcement. Compared with the privately managed airports such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad, the Chennai airport doesn’t live up to the expectations in many respects, he says. “The maintenance of the toilets has to improve at the Chennai airport. Secondly, the shopping and dining terminals at the Hyderabad and Bengaluru airports are top notch. They offer a huge variety, while Chennai has limited options. Also, when I look at the ambience and look of the Bengaluru airport terminal, it is absolutely striking and attracts a passenger.”

While the Chennai airport has improved in some areas over the last decade, it is far behind the Bengaluru or Hyderabad airports in terms of comfort, convenience, and services, says K. Karthik, another flyer. “Before a decade, I wouldn’t even want to step into the toilet at the Chennai airport. While it is marginally better now, passengers still hesitate. I was disappointed with the wash-rooms at the international terminal when I flew out of the city last week because there was a bad odour,” he says.

Long wait for baggage collection

He says he struggles to find a trolley that moves smoothly. The wait for baggage collection, too, is long sometimes. “I arrived around 8.10 p.m. from Dubai. The immigration was quick, and my wife and I headed to the baggage conveyor belt. By the time we received the baggage, it was 9.45 p.m. Pushing the trolley and collecting my baggage were an extremely frustrating exercise. I think that if the Chennai airport becomes privately managed, these issues are likely to be better handled,” he says.

Muralikrishnan, another passenger, says that for lack of good planning and functionality, even little things irk a passenger. “For instance, I flew down from Ahmedabad a few months ago. On reaching the terminal for collecting baggage, we arrived at the specified belt. But it was changed and there was no clarity. We had to walk to another belt. Similarly, the manner in which the cab pick-up has been planned is not at all convenient to passengers,” he adds.

Some of the airlines prefer a privately managed airport for various reasons. “If we want to create a hub in Bengaluru, we will get concessions in parking, landing, and office space, which we may not get so easily in a government-run airport. Also, when we plan for connectivity from a city, we not only think about the load factor but also about the services and facilities. Of course, the final call will be taken by the Ministry of Civil Aviation,” according to an airline official.

Officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) say they have taken steps over the years to offer the best of services to passengers and address complaints at the earliest.

“With respect to toilets, we clean them, both in the departure and the arrival, round the clock. Also, as soon as passengers complained about the difficulty in the cab pick-up point, we added several buggies to drop them off in the parking area. After completing construction of a plaza, we are going to add a second cab pick-up point, which will be convenient to passengers,” an official says.

AAI officials say congestion on account of security checks occurs only when there is a bunching of flights. They say that they are trying to address the problem. “Sometimes, passengers encounter delays in receiving the baggage because Customs have to scan and then send it to the carousel. We are discussing the issue with them [Customs officials] to resolve it at the earliest,” the official says.

Affordable food outlet

Asked about shopping and dining at the Chennai airport, officials say they have optimally utilised the limited space and there are quite a lot of options for passengers at the domestic and international terminals. “We have also recently opened Udan Yatri Café. This kind of an affordable food outlet may not be available at a private airport,” the official adds.

The AAI has changed over 11,000 trolley wheels in recent months and procured 6,000 wheels. “Work is under way to replace the damaged ones. This aside, we are going to order another 29,000 wheels shortly,” the official says.