Amit Shah reviews passenger facilities at airports, seeks additional measures for ease of travel

NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday reviewed passenger facilities at airports across the country and directed the authorities concerned to ensure ease of travel for passengers during the coming summer season, officials said.

The home minister also sought additional measures at airports for passenger convenience.

The meeting was attended by Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and top officials of the ministries of Home and Civil Aviation and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), among others.

The home minister held the meeting to review passenger traffic at airports across the country, an official said.

The home minister directed that steps be taken to ensure that passengers spend less time at airport gates, check-in counters, and security check and immigration zones.

The airlines are expected to deploy adequate manpower at all check-in and baggage drop counters.

The airlines usually post real-time data on their social media regarding waiting time during peak seasons and they are likely to do the same now.

The DGCA has approved the flight roster, with a total of 22,907 departures per week, which is almost a 1,000-flight spike from the winter schedule of 21,941 flights.

Passengers carried by domestic airlines during January-March 2023 were 3.75 crore as against 2.47 crore during the corresponding period of previous year, thereby registering an annual growth of 51.70 per cent, according to the latest data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Passengers carried by domestic airlines during January-December 2022 were 12.32 crore as against 8.38 crore during the corresponding period of previous year, thereby registering an annual growth of 47.05 per cent.

There are about 110 operational airports in the country, of which security of 66 airports are handled by the CISF while a few by the CRPF and the rest are handled by the respective state police forces. (PTI)