No amenities at Vizag airport

Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam International Airport, one of the fastest growing airports in the country with 2.4 million passengers using the airport per year, lacks basic amenities for the people who wait to receive passengers and or send them off.

Highlights:

• On an average 500 to 700 people visit the airport and there are only 11 chairs for all these people, say travel agents
• “There are only a few fans and people get baked in hot summer. Many elderly people are often seen squatting on the floors,’’ said M Venkata Rao, a travel agent who often visits airport
• Even the kiosks selling coffee and snacks fleece people with abnormal rates. Coffee or tea is being sold for Rs 30, lemon tea for Rs 40 and cold coffee for Rs 50

Presently 26 flights take off every day from this airport which include international destinations like Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia and Dubai. The flights continue till 11.30 pm.

But people have been complaining about lack of facilities outside the terminal while waiting for their guests and relatives. There are no toilet facilities for them or a proper place to sit while waiting.

Travel agents said on an average 500 to 700 people visit the airport. There are only 11 chairs for all these people. “There are only a few fans and people get baked in hot summer. Many elderly people are often seen squatting on the floors,’’ said M Venkata Rao, a travel agent who often visits airport.

Even the kiosks outside selling coffee and snacks fleece people with abnormal rates. Coffee or tea is being sold for Rs 30, lemon tea Rs 40, cold coffee Rs 50. Water bottles and snacks are not available.

One has to pay Rs 75 to enter the terminal building and to get a bottle of water and snacks. Ground crew, cargo workers and taxi drivers, too, face problem as they are not allowed inside.

“We have stand under a tree for shade or hang around the car parking to kill the time as they are no waiting halls for us. Our patience is tested till the last flight that takes off at 11.30,’’ said Satish, a taxi driver.

Other than basic facilities, there is no bus service to the airport. The APSRTC runs only thrice a day at 8 am, noon and in the afternoon. Airport director G Prakash Reddy told this correspondent here on Friday that the management has been planning to improve the facilities as sought by the travellers and air travel association.

“We will soon provide facilities. We have called for tenders and the work would begin soon,’’ Reddy said. He said the airport will have a bus shelter which is being built with MPLAD funds of MP Dr K Haribabu.

Vice-president of Air Travelers Association of Andhra Pradesh O Naresh Kumar said the association has given several representations to the Airport Authority of India for improving quality of toilets, sitting benches outside the terminal and for recreation, business centre and a prayer hall.

“These are normally provided in every international airport across the globe,’’ Naresh Kumar told this correspondent.

By Jatlee Dontala