CHENNAI, July 20: Inadequate infrastructure at the Chennai International airport imposes great hardship on the 2,500 or so passengers who pass through it each day. The strain is especially felt at night, due to the bunching of international flights, with over five flights arriving and departing between 2100 hrs and 0100 hrs each day. With only 16 check-in counters, the queues are impossibly long, sometimes extending to outside the terminal building, and it takes the passengers an average two outs to check in their baggage. This is in comparison to the 10 minutes required in most other countries. For incoming passengers, it takes about an hour-and-a-half to collect their baggage. IAD and AAI plans for expansion of the terminal building and extending the length of the conveyor belts have been booged down. Meanwhile, chaos reigns at the arrival halls.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.