Despite announcements and constant reminders, physical distancing among passengers remains a failure at the Chennai airport.

The problem mainly persists at the entry point of the departure hall of the terminals and near the e-pass counters in the arrival hall, say sources.

Now, about 12,000 passengers are travelling through the airport and 100-110 flights are handled daily.

Airport sources said that as the number of flights and passenger traffic had gone up, there was crowding, and it was particularly bad during the peak hours.

“Long queues and crowding occur at the entry point because checking of each passenger takes time. This will result in queues. But passengers should be cautious and stand apart. Many of them are standing too close to each other, putting each other at risk,” an airport source said.

Similarly, buses ferrying passengers from the terminal to the aircraft too are full and sometimes, passengers stand too close to each other, the source said.

Officials of the Airports Authority of India said they had taken steps to control crowding and maintain physical distancing at the terminal. “We have placed floor markers everywhere and announcements are also put up. When passengers come in, they wear the masks, a few of them take it off sometimes. We are doing everything possible,” an official said.

There is crowding at the e-pass counters because many passengers choose to arrive at the airport and then apply for the e-pass at the arrival hall.

Chennai Corporation officials said this was happening because many were not aware of the norms and got the e-pass only after landing at the airport.