Chennai: The airport may have started to see international flights resuming and the number of domestic flights increasing but lack of forex counters, baggage trolleys and battery-operated cars inside terminals irk passengers.
Passengers who arrive from abroad struggle without forex and are forced to haul heavy luggage to the exit without trolleys. Though battery-run cars are in the domestic terminal, they are not operated for senior citizens.
The Forex counters were closed because of the loss of business while there are not enough staff to collect trolleys and arrange them for passengers near the entry gates and also near the baggage conveyor belts. Passengers, especially the ones who arrive by Vande Bharat flights, need Indian currency to travel further to their destinations.
Sources said, “The terminal has ATMs but many of the workers returning from abroad after years may not have debit cards. They also do not get Indian money at airports abroad.” Though departing passengers can get forex from the city, those who want to get them from the airport are in trouble. IndiGo, Go Air, SpiceJet, Emirates and Etihad Airways have scheduled a few flights to the UAE as part of an ‘air bubble’ concept. There are close to 80 domestic flights daily.
Sixty-year-old Lalitha Parvathy who returned from Mumbai to the city recently, said, “I bought two bags thinking that I can use the trolley, but there aren’t any. I had to carry them and walk outside the airport till the flag post to get my cab. It’s very difficult. I have arthritis and doctor has advised me to not walk carrying heavy weights. I don’t see why they don’t have trolleys while the other airports do,” she said.
Passengers also complained that the battery-operated cars inside the airport were lying idle with their drivers refusing to pay attention to their calls.
“I called a driver twice and finally went up to him to ask if he could help us. He said the car was not working.” said T Ananthanarayan, another passenger.
The spokesperson of the Airport Authority of India said that they were providing trolleys only based on requests, as they were insisting passengers to travel light and not carry too many bags.
“The battery cars are available,” he added. In the last four months, firms who are running utilities for passengers suffered loss and have sent most of their employees on leave without pay.
AAI has ignored pleas by the firms to rework fees and work out a policy to encourage them to continue.
Passengers who arrive from abroad struggle without forex and are forced to haul heavy luggage to the exit without trolleys. Though battery-run cars are in the domestic terminal, they are not operated for senior citizens.
The Forex counters were closed because of the loss of business while there are not enough staff to collect trolleys and arrange them for passengers near the entry gates and also near the baggage conveyor belts. Passengers, especially the ones who arrive by Vande Bharat flights, need Indian currency to travel further to their destinations.
Sources said, “The terminal has ATMs but many of the workers returning from abroad after years may not have debit cards. They also do not get Indian money at airports abroad.” Though departing passengers can get forex from the city, those who want to get them from the airport are in trouble. IndiGo, Go Air, SpiceJet, Emirates and Etihad Airways have scheduled a few flights to the UAE as part of an ‘air bubble’ concept. There are close to 80 domestic flights daily.
Sixty-year-old Lalitha Parvathy who returned from Mumbai to the city recently, said, “I bought two bags thinking that I can use the trolley, but there aren’t any. I had to carry them and walk outside the airport till the flag post to get my cab. It’s very difficult. I have arthritis and doctor has advised me to not walk carrying heavy weights. I don’t see why they don’t have trolleys while the other airports do,” she said.
Passengers also complained that the battery-operated cars inside the airport were lying idle with their drivers refusing to pay attention to their calls.
“I called a driver twice and finally went up to him to ask if he could help us. He said the car was not working.” said T Ananthanarayan, another passenger.
The spokesperson of the Airport Authority of India said that they were providing trolleys only based on requests, as they were insisting passengers to travel light and not carry too many bags.
“The battery cars are available,” he added. In the last four months, firms who are running utilities for passengers suffered loss and have sent most of their employees on leave without pay.
AAI has ignored pleas by the firms to rework fees and work out a policy to encourage them to continue.
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