Pune: Rethink on long walk for cab from airport's new terminal

PUNE: Airport authorities are considering alternative transport arrangements for inbound flyers who would otherwise have to walk about 0.5km to board cabs at Aero Mall.
The integrated terminal is scheduled to become operational in August.

With the construction of the new terminal being over 75% completed, many flyers had started complaining about the long walk to the Aero Mall. They felt the walk through the already-crowded departure section would be too cumbersome.
But airport officials were initially reluctant to change existing plans. They said that connecting the Aero Mall to the new building by other means would be difficult as they didn't have space for it. One official said the front canopy of the integrated building would have six lanes, which would ease the crowding.
Airport sources told TOI that there had been a change in perspective and authorities now realized that the walk from the new building's arrival gate to the Aero Mall's multilevel car parking point would be too long. They were now considering other options while trying to ensure the pick-up facility continued to stay relevant. "The idea is to ensure some flyers don't have to walk to Aero Mall and can get public transport once they come out of the arrival gate of the integrated building," an airport official said.
The daily passenger movement is expected to jump by around 20% after the new terminal is commissioned and the daily flight movement would be over 200. Therefore, airport officials feel having this alternate plan in place will greatly help managing crowds.
Shortly after the Aero Mall opened in November, the pick-up point of cabs was shifted to the facility. Flyers walk about 80m at present to reach the escalator, elevator or staircase to the skywalk leading to the pickup point. Another 200m takes them to the actual pickup point. Though initially there were many complaints about the long walk, things have calmed down now, officials claim.
"Once the two buildings are integrated, the distance from the arrival area to the pick up point will increase by around 150m-200m," another official said. "We are thinking that on certain times of the day, some cabs can be allowed to wait near the arrival gate."
This may also reduce the pressure on the pick-up point at the mall as the new terminal is expected to bring in more passengers and flight movements. "We will ensure maximum pickups are from Aero Mall so that the relevance of the facility remains. There will also be more battery-operated vehicles to take flyers to the point," the official said.
He added: "We have already sought one acre of land from defence authorities to construct another road that will be used by flyers to exit the airport area. In case of special circumstances, like a family with a lot of luggage or senior citizens, cabs can be asked to come to the arrival gate. Some more options are being discussed, things will be finalized soon."
Flyers however provided mixed opinions. "Constantly changing plans increases flyers' hassles," Praveen Bhangre, a frequent flyer said. "If the walk is too long, may be the airport is thinking right. But, even at other airports, especially Delhi, one has to walk a long time to get to a boarding gate. There are some flyers who keep complaining about the Pune airport but don't react while in Delhi or other cities."