LGBI Airport tariff hike without facility upgrades leaves passengers irked

Guwahati, Oct. 27: Perhaps the only thing 'international' about the Guwahati airport is the handful of flights to overseas destinations. Substandard facilities at the airport have come in for increasing criticism by passengers, particularly international travellers.

The international boarding and arrival lounge of the airport has been functioning from makeshift arrangements for years now. The peak area capacity of the international boarding lounge is around 100, and passengers standing and siting on decks of other infrastructure is common scene there.

"If the flight is full, passengers won't get a seat at the lounge. While the check-in has to be done 3-4 hours in advance, passengers will have to endure several hours in the small room which is worse than a canteen. There is just one coffee shop and the passengers do not have access to food stalls," said Ravi, a frequent traveller.

Temporary physical barriers have been set up to separate domestic and international passengers. The peak hour capacity in the domestic terminal is also around 450, but it is having to cater to around 1,200 passengers.

There have has been frequent incidents of luggage mishandling as well. On October 19, several passengers travelling from Kuala Lumpur reported non-arrival of their check-in baggage. Airlines have also deployed limited staff to handle such grievances.

Three years after taking over the airport, the Adani group, which has done little to improve the facilities, has hiked the airport charges for airlines. The hike in landing charges for airlines has prompted some international operators to rethink on continuing operations from here, sources said.

In mid-September, the user development fee (UDF) - payable by passengers - was also hiked. Before the Adani group took over the airport in 2021, the UDF for domestic passengers and international passengers was Rs 379 and Rs 499, respectively.

The applicable UDF for embarking passenger will be Rs 555 (domestic) and Rs 770 (international) from September 16, 2024, to March 31 next year. From 2025, it will be hiked to Rs 625 and Rs 980, and in 2026 it will be raised to Rs 695 and Rs 1,120. The UDF will also be applicable now for disembarking passengers which was not there before, according to the new tariff order.

Construction of the new integrated terminal has been delayed by more than 48 months, which has also resulted in cost overrun. The original cost of the new terminal was Rs 1,142 crore, and now it is anticipated to cross Rs 2,333 crore.

Sources privy to the developments said that frequent change of policy and design has contributed to the delay. The new date for completion of the terminal is July 2025.

Currently, international flights operate to and from four places from the airport- Paro, Singapore, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur.

- By Rituraj Borthakur