Opinion: New rabbit holes
What is the use of winning ‘best airport’ or ‘busiest airport’ trophies if they are ineffective?
By VISSA VENKATA SUNDAR
Hyderabad: From the passenger perspective, the Indian aviation industry is now reduced to a daily spectacle. The recent chaos at Delhi International Airport (DIAL) due to overcrowding and passenger complaints, as well as the frequent and unreported incidents at other airports, raises one question. In exchange for paying the passenger terminal fee, what exactly does a passenger receive from these airports? Why isn’t anything being done to make travel less stressful?
What is the use of winning ‘best airport’ or ‘busiest airport’ trophies if they are ineffective and dysfunctional? While some airports may feel pride in receiving these awards, in reality, the customer is screaming and voting with his feet.
Revolution, in Reverse
Our opulent airports appear to have heralded a revolution, albeit in reverse. When airports consume nearly as much time as a road trip for short and moderate distances, flying becomes an avoidable annoyance. The airport revolution in the country is making the common man think: is it even worth the trouble to fly a domestic sector with 3 hours of preparation pre-flight; then the usual flight delays; landing at the destination and battling with the traffic in the city, etc?
These problems, which have become commonplace for air travellers, have caused many to question the value of flying. In India, one is expected to spend more than half a day to be airborne. It is a deplorable standard. By taking passengers’ time for granted and disrupting their schedules, airports are stifling business and personal travel. This issue must be addressed by all stakeholders.
Deflated Dream
Airport operators have turned a well-intended aviation revolution into a deflated dream that is worse for crowd control than an interstate bus terminal. If rotating crowds congregate in the same square feet of space without adequate air circulation, it is distressing and an open invitation to easily catch someone’s flu or any other airborne disease. What are India’s major airport operators doing despite Covid-19’s mandatory distancing rules? The airport operator doesn’t seem to give two hoots about it.
The irony of the situation is obvious: It is fascinating how technology has advanced to the point where it can detect if one’s heart valves need repairs, while airport x-ray machines still require us to go through the rather old-fashioned process of removing articles from a cabin bag, not to mention our jackets, belts etc. Such mindless checks are an insult to any civilised process. It is a form of public humiliation that, unfortunately, we all have come to accept as necessary. Tray handlers have no knowledge of the objects or electronics that must be handled correctly.
Are we saying that the deployed man and machine are so doubtful of each other’s abilities that they want to double-check that the passenger is not a criminal on a mission? It calls both men’s and machines’ capabilities into question.
The serpentine lines and tight spaces give you a headache, but the lack of air circulation makes things worse. In the dead of winter, one can easily sweat in one’s jacket while navigating the lines at Delhi airport. What advantages does this have for passengers flying out of the world’s best airports in the country? Besides, it is not even good business sense to hold up the passengers, as it throws the operator’s prized non-aero revenue from retail shopping into disarray.
Some Solutions
Practical solutions such as prioritising and clearing the airline or destination on a real-time basis will relieve the passenger’s stress. Right now, the onus seems to be on the passenger to secure their own flight. Security personnel don’t often mirror the same body language as the personnel who are required to move things swiftly and on time.
Airlines should be able to have their own lines. Why should a passenger be made to suffer because she/he is flying a specific airline and is crammed in like sardines with other airlines that have peak capacity at that hour? Essentially, why should every airline passenger pass through only one rabbit hole? These are systems designed for a different era with the sole purpose of cost savings and optimisation.
It is time to review the procedures that create unnecessary bottlenecks, friction and stress, and eliminate them. Lastly, we don’t want silent airports; we want upbeat airports, airports that are conscious of customer needs and that are practical and service-oriented.
Alas, if there are no visible changes on the ground soon, the airport sector will face even more customer backlash! That doesn’t square up with the billboards that we see promoting their services with words like convenience, comfort, and time-saving. There is no point in just viewing the bright future of the aviation industry on the backlit panel boards at the baggage carousel while you endlessly wait for your baggage to appear. The discrepancy between what is promised and the reality of the situation could lead to serious customer dissatisfaction, which would significantly harm the sector.
