Flyers face difficulties at Delhi airport as footfall rise
Dec 13, 2022
New Delhi [India], December 13 : With the yearend holiday season already in full swing ahead of the Christmas and new year, foorfalls at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport has been on the rise. On Tuesday, scores of domestic flyers here faced difficulties as they waited hours in queues just to get inside the Terminal 3.
With luggage and children, adults complained the waiting time outside -- and this is even before making a go at the scene inside, where there are numerous bottleneck spots.
Most domestic flyers demanded security checks be smoothened and traffic inside reduced or streamlined further.
"I'm travelling to Coimbatore. There is a huge crowd here and many times due to this we miss a flight," says Shyam Kalra, a passenger waiting in queue outside the airport fidgeting as he looks at the serpentine length of human heads ahead of him. This is despite the airport increasing entry gates from 14 to 16 for flyers' entry.
Some of the flyers demand security check-in be accelerated and rued the traffic at the airport that they said "should be controlled".
"Security check-in should be done quickly. I've missed flights in the past also. Traffic at the airport should be controlled and the process should be made smoother," said Shikha, another passenger.
Due to increasing congestion at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, low-budget carrier IndiGo on Tuesday advised passengers to reach the airport at least 3.5 hours prior to domestic departures and carry only one piece of hand baggage weighing 7 kg for a smooth security check.
The airline said the Delhi airport is experiencing high footfalls, and check-in and boarding time is expected to be longer than usual. It also advised passengers to use gate numbers 5 and 6 for their entry at Delhi Airport, Terminal 3, as these are nearest to the IndiGo check-in counters.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has ordered various decongestion measures at the IGIA, officials said. The move came in the wake of numerous complaints, including on social media that stressed on the massive congestion and even sought surprise check by Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia at the airport in the national capital on Monday.
