The number of flights operating out of Bagdogra airport will almost double in six months but the facility is short of infrastructure to handle increased passenger traffic.
According to the summer schedule (from March 26 to October 28) for the Bagdogra airport announced by the Airports Authority of India today, 22 to 25 flights will operate everyday in the first few months, instead of 13 to 16 planes at present. The number of daily flights will reach 29 in August.
But the airport authorities are worried over the existing infrastructure that is struggling to cope with even the present traffic.
"The terminal, along with conveyer belts and other facilities, can cater for around 400 passengers an hour at present. Still, we are handling 600 travellers on an average an hour. Going by the new schedule, the terminal will be teeming with 1,000 passengers an hour. Besides, we have just five aprons and the number will have to be doubled in March," said a source at the airport.
The airport will face the biggest challenge from 2pm to 4pm from March-end when 23 flights will be landing or taking off during those two hours.
"Once the summer schedule kicks in, we apprehend overcrowding and chaotic situations at the airport from 2pm to 4pm. In fact, the present terminal can ideally handle three flights, that is, three arrivals and three departures, in two hours. But according to the new schedule, we will have as many as 13 arrivals and 10 departures from 2pm to 4pm," said the source.
Rakesh Sahay, the Bagdogra airport director, said today that it was a matter of pride that the flight number would touch 29 in a few months. "We had expected more flights because of a rise in the number of passengers in the past few years. The AAI needs to augment the infrastructure at the airport on a war footing," said Sahay.
13/01/17 Avijit Sinha/The Telegraph
To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline
According to the summer schedule (from March 26 to October 28) for the Bagdogra airport announced by the Airports Authority of India today, 22 to 25 flights will operate everyday in the first few months, instead of 13 to 16 planes at present. The number of daily flights will reach 29 in August.
But the airport authorities are worried over the existing infrastructure that is struggling to cope with even the present traffic.
"The terminal, along with conveyer belts and other facilities, can cater for around 400 passengers an hour at present. Still, we are handling 600 travellers on an average an hour. Going by the new schedule, the terminal will be teeming with 1,000 passengers an hour. Besides, we have just five aprons and the number will have to be doubled in March," said a source at the airport.
The airport will face the biggest challenge from 2pm to 4pm from March-end when 23 flights will be landing or taking off during those two hours.
"Once the summer schedule kicks in, we apprehend overcrowding and chaotic situations at the airport from 2pm to 4pm. In fact, the present terminal can ideally handle three flights, that is, three arrivals and three departures, in two hours. But according to the new schedule, we will have as many as 13 arrivals and 10 departures from 2pm to 4pm," said the source.
Rakesh Sahay, the Bagdogra airport director, said today that it was a matter of pride that the flight number would touch 29 in a few months. "We had expected more flights because of a rise in the number of passengers in the past few years. The AAI needs to augment the infrastructure at the airport on a war footing," said Sahay.
13/01/17 Avijit Sinha/The Telegraph
0 comments:
Post a Comment