The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) chaired a high-level meeting on Thursday to discuss the complaints of overcrowding, delay and chaos at Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. The meeting started at 11 am.
As per sources, discussion on immigration and infrastructure was on agenda in the meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, stated a report in India Today.
Civil Aviation Secretary, senior officers of Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), Director General of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Chief of Intelligence Bureau (IB), Chairman of the Airport Authority of India (AAI), senior officers of Immigration Department, officers of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and other officers of the home ministry were present at this meeting.
Passengers have been sharing anecdotes about the challenges they faced while on their way to board flights from the Terminal. Many likened the terminal to a fish market, while others called the experience “hell”. Long, serpentine queues, delays, non-cooperative staff, insufficient manpower were some of the frequent complaints.
As complaints piled up, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia made a surprise visit to the airport. A five-point plan covering entrance, check-in area, security check and immigration was put in place soon after.
As per the report the decision to deploy an additional 1,200 CISF personnel at the Delhi airport could be taken in the meeting today. So far 5,000 CISF personnel are deployed at the Delhi airport.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on Tuesday asked all airlines to deploy sufficient manpower at all check-in/baggage drop counters well in advance in early morning hours to ensure decongestion and smooth flow of passengers at airports. Airlines have also been asked to place real-time data regarding waiting periods on social media.
Also read: Delhi airport chaos: Real-time display of waiting period, crowd management deployed