CHENNAI: Air passengers at Chennai airport have a lot more to deal with than just flying in and out like tackling pigeons and crows at the secured departure areas, endlessly waiting for baggage at the international terminal, and handling their luggage on damaged trolleys.
The airport, which is already plagued by the stray dog menace, is now seeing an increasing number of birds flying into the departure lounges.
Passengers have complained that pigeons and crows enter the food court and restaurants and hover around tables even when people are having food. At times, the birds are audacious enough to pick food from plates, forcing passengers who paid for their meals to abandon the food and the table.
Meanwhile, passengers at the international arrival section have been complaining about delays in receiving their checked-in baggage. Passengers arriving from Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and London have been forced to wait for hours before their luggage reaches the conveyor belts.
And when passengers finally collect their baggage, they are faced with the next big task of transporting them using airport trolleys, as several trolleys are in poor condition and damaged wheels, making them difficult to push.
Some trolleys even tilt or overturn when they are pushed. Passengers are then forced to search for another trolley and transfer their baggage, causing further inconvenience after a lengthy wait.
Official sources at Chennai airport said measures had already been taken to prevent birds from entering the terminal by installing protective nets.
However, some sections of the nets had become damaged or loose, allowing birds to enter. Authorities said steps were being taken to repair the damaged nets.
Regarding the damaged trolleys, the airport officials expressed regret over the inconvenience caused to passengers. They said their teams regularly identify damaged trolleys, isolate them and take them for repairs.
They also assured passengers that the process of identifying and removing defective trolleys will be intensified.