Kolkata airport gets ready for international flights

Before international flights were suspended from March 23, 2020, the airport used to see around 33 international flights daily

PRAVASISAMWAD.COM

Kolkata airport is getting ready for scheduled international flights. While foreign exchange counters, international SIM cards stalls, retail outlets and food courts have been reopened, plans to add manpower at immigration and customs counters are on. Before international flights were suspended from March 23, 2020, the airport used to see around 33 international flights daily.

Even though domestic traffic started from end-May 2020 and has steadily gone up, the international wing of the terminus remained deserted with around seven flights a day under the bubble arrangements. Some food counters were temporarily opened when passengers had to wait for six hours for on-arrival Covid reports, but the stalls are yet to begin full-scale operation.

“While airlines are preparing the international schedules, it is also important that the airport also gets equipped with necessary international services like availability of Forex, calling cards and additional manpower at immigration counters.”

— An airline official

“Now that international flight movement is set to resume, we are engaging housekeeping staff, check functioning of each boarding gate and are connecting with the previous operators to resume pre-pandemic services,” a senior official of Kolkata airport was quoted saying to ET.

Airlines officials have met airport authorities to discuss the way forward and have also asked them to process the pre-pandemic facilities and utilities available at the international terminal along with necessary infrastructural upgrades. “While airlines are preparing the international schedules, it is also important that the airport also gets equipped with necessary international services like availability of Forex, calling cards and additional manpower at immigration counters,” said an airline official.

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