I am waiting for my Spicejet flight to Bengaluru. I came more than 3 hours before departure as I got SMSs and calls telling me of the huge Puja rush. Since I already had a very bad experience of this airport in last May transiting to Bhutan I wanted to take no chances.
Everyone tells me that Ms. Mamata Banerjee or Didi has fixed a number of things including getting banks to serve the Puja rush without downing shutters for 5 days at a stretch. I hope she can fix this airport. Here is my list of things:
1. The airport wears a decrepit look like many other buildings in Kolkata.
2. As usual you find many people coming to see off their beloved ones and like in Sahar or IGI, you can be put off by the milling humanity.
3. The airport check-in counters wear a scraggy look and show the staff as harried, perhaps exhausted dealing with crowds.
4. This airport handles LOTs of flights, from the Seven Sisters, Bhutan and Sikkim, and all metros etc. So you generally find lots of passengers waiting.
They do not have enough seating, eating, clean toilets or easy security checks. The air-conditioning was working today, but last time was ineffective.
5. Such crowds and poor ambience allows people to show their 'lower' side chucking foil wrappers and snack packaging here and there.
6. There are not enough seats, and some of them are stained with food/vomit not cleaned for a long time. Many cushions are damaged.
7. There is lousy eating. Budget travel means you eat before the flight. Given long waits for flights, one has to make do with some overworked cafeterias selling wraps and sandwiches. There is no sense in limiting catering facilities.
8. There is hardly any shopping and I did not see any bookshop after security.
9. The international airport is woeful and much worse than the domestic terminal. I also found last time loud-mouthed staff making a huge racket about something, totally impervious to the irritation this caused passengers. Add to that overflowing dust bins into which staff and passengers alike spit their pan masala stuff. What a poor advertisement for incredible India.
Pretty bad experience. I wonder where international travellers and airport rating agencies rate Kolkata. Cannot be very high.
Happy Durga Puja!
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