It is almost two weeks since the Chandigarh’s new Airport Terminal was completed. It has come as a great relief for the commuters as they had to walk quite a bit while departing or arriving to the Chandigarh Airport during the construction. Though almost all the airlines operators have shifted to the new building, there is a lot remaining.
No doubt, the new Chandigarh Terminal has great space and facilities, a lot of it is still not functional. You would find a Cafeteria for the waiting passengers and comfortable seaats near the departure and arrival gates. One thing you can’t ignore is that the new terminal is still crowded with workers and building equipments and material is still lying around. The washrooms near the arrival gate is still under construction and the security set up is still not complete.
The new Chandigarh Terminal still doesn’t have the machines to scan cargo. However, new facilities like a ticket counter, tour and travel agency and taxi counter are operational in the new building. The CISF has also deployed extra troops in the premises.
My visit to the airport on Friday April 22, 2011, gave me a shock of my life. I wasn’t frisked while entering the airport. I had gone to pick my relatives. Just like the old airport, the visitors need to pay Rs 30 and get a slip to enter the building after showing an ID. When I entered the Chandigarh Terminal, the policeman just had a look at the slip and did not check me. How surprising is that?
The thing that amuses me is that the passengers still walk under the open sky while boarding or de-boarding the flight and the check-in luggage is still carried in the open Tractor-Trolleys. The standard of a modern day city still seems to be far off.
Thanks to – Times of India
