Visakhapatnam: Airports in Andhra Pradesh have been witnessing a huge surge in passenger footfalls and also in the number of flights landing in the cities during the past couple of years. However, facilities at the airports have not increased at par.
The customer satisfaction index, as per surveys conducted by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) twice in a year, for Visakhapatnam airport has been hovering at 20 to 25 rank among 54 airports operated by AAI in the last couple of years.
Similarly, Rajahmundry, Tirupati and Vijayawada airports in the state, too, rank between 36 and 40 spots.
The customer satisfaction index shows Vizag airport has failed to improve its rank and had instead slided from the 20th position to the 21st in the latest survey conducted in July-December 2016.
The Rajahmundry, Tirupati and Vijaywada airports improved by just one step and stood in the ranks of 36, 37 and 40 ranks in July-Dec., 2016.
Vizag airport had registered 4.86 points out of 5, in the second half of 2016, while it scored 4.85 in the first half. Similarly, Rajahmundry scored 4.16 from 4.14, Tirupati registered 4.14 points from 4.12 points and Vijayawada scored 4.03 points from 4.01 points.
Many passengers expressed displeasure over customs’ inspection at Vizag airport as sometimes “they are treated as smugglers despite offering to pay the customs duty”.
“The existing immigration facility in Vizag airport has to improve, considering the surge of air passengers and international passengers at the airport. The airport authorities have to improve some basic facilities such as clean toilets, comfort lounges for business class passengers in other airports in the state to improve their ranks,” president of Tours and Travels Association of Andhra Pradesh K. Vijay Mohan said.
“The AAI authorities have to improve to improve facilities such as shopping malls, restaurants and few others to give a new experience to air passengers. There is a need to expand the airports in AP to provide more facilities and operate more flights,” chief administrator of Air Travellers’ Association (India) D. Varada Reddy said.
