DELHI AIRPORT FAILS TO TACKLE HOLIDAY SEASON RUSH

‘As per estimates, at least 50% of the space inside the terminal building is taken up by retail outlets’.

- DIBYENDU MONDAL

The long serpentine queues and massive rush at the Delhi airport might have been temporarily curtailed after Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia intervened earlier this month following outrage by passengers on social media, but airline enthusiasts and frequent flyers claim that the airport operators and the government will have to look into long term solution to avoid a similar situation every year keeping in mind the growing air traffic each year.

As the passenger traffic at airports are growing, the space within the airport terminal building is shrinking due to more spaces within the terminal building being rented out to retail outlets as this brings a large chunk of revenue to the airport operators. The airport terminal map uploaded on the Delhi airport’s website also gives a glimpse of how much space retail outlets have taken up inside the terminal building at the Delhi airport. According to estimates drawn from the map, at least 50% of the space inside the terminal building is taken up by retail outlets. The Delhi airport Terminal 3 has around 30,000 square feet of retail spaces. The terminal has 11 lounges, 40 dining outlets, 56 retail outlets including spa services, shopping centres, a large duty free, a bank and multiple ATMs.

Earlier this month, the Parliamentary panel on Transport, Tourism and Culture was told that the security infrastructure within the Delhi airport has “frozen over time” as it has not been able to keep pace with the growing traffic of air travellers in India. After which this Parliamentary panel summoned the Chief Executive Officer of Delhi Airport, Videh Kumar Jaipuriar to seek details over the steps he has taken to ensure smooth and secure flow of traffic within the airport in Delhi.