Ahmedabad intl airport facilities not adequate: A-I official

Even as various international airlines are planning to start operations from Ahmedabad, the international terminal lacks infrastructural facilities.

The lounge and refreshment facilities are inadequate. Moreover, with only six check-in counters, passengers have to stand in long queues for hours.

"The international terminal at Ahmedabad cannot handle more than one flight at a given time. There is a commotion even if a single jumbo flight of Air-India (with about 400 passengers) lands," said a senior official of Air-India.

"The airport lacks close-circuit televisions (CCTVs) and the conveyor belt can accommodate only 40 pieces of luggage. Moreover, the space near the belt is too narrow, causing difficulty for passengers to carry out their luggage," the official added.

"The lounge at the international terminal cannot accommodate more than 150 passengers, while a jumbo aircraft of Indian Airlines carries around 400 passengers. Moreover, the toilets are dirty," said Bharat Tikle, area marketing manager, Indian Airlines, Ahmedabad.

"We have been instructed to start a new international flight to Dubai. But the international terminal at Ahmedabad is very small and incapable of handling international flights," said the airport officer of Indian Airlines.

Union minister of state for civil aviation Rajiv Pratap Rudy said during his recent visit to the airport: "The Ahmedabad airport is one of the worst in the country. The facilities at the domestic terminal itself are inadequate, not to mention of the international terminal".

Rudy had assured that all the facilities will be spruced up soon. A plan was also chalked out during his meeting of state chief minister Narendra Modi to uplift the Ahmedabad airport to international standards on a public-private partnership basis. Such a system has worked well in Bangalore and Hyderabad.

However, M S Jaladhari, airport director at Ahmedabad, said: "So far no work has been initiated at the international terminal and I am not aware of any such proposal. Such plans are finalised at the head office in New Delhi and I am yet to receive any order from there."

Asked about the infrastructural facilities, Jaladhari said: "I have not yet received any complaints about inadequate infrastructure from any airlines company. The facilities at the airport are adequate to meet the demands of the international passengers."