CHENNAI: A lack of clear instructions for passengers who are offloaded after missing their flights has emerged as a recurring concern at Chennai Airport, with travellers alleging that they are often left struggling to find their way out of the boarding area and reschedule their journeys.
Under existing procedures, domestic passengers are required to reach the airport well in advance, complete security checks and report at the boarding gate at least 30 minutes before departure. Once the boarding gate is closed, late-arriving passengers are not permitted to board and are offloaded.
Passengers who miss their flights are required to exit the restricted area and approach their respective airline counters to explore options such as rescheduling their travel.
However, many passengers allegedly do not receive clear instructions on how to leave the boarding area, where to go, or whom to contact for rebooking. Neither airline staff, airport employees nor personnel on duty provided adequate guidance.
It is also alleged that communication difficulties arise in some cases, leaving passengers without clear answers to their queries.
Dr Adithya Vasudevan reportedly faced a similar situation at the Chennai domestic terminal on Monday morning (June 22).
The passenger had arrived at the airport to travel from Chennai to Kochi via Bengaluru on an IndiGo flight.
Security screening of a telescope he was carrying took considerable time, resulting in a delay.
By the time he reached the boarding gate after completing security checks, the gate had reportedly been closed by a minute late. Airline staff informed him that nothing could be done as the process was computer-controlled, following which he was offloaded.
The passenger was then allegedly left without clear information on how to exit the boarding area, whom to approach, or how to rebook his journey. He spent a long time moving around the airport before eventually travelling on another flight.
Passengers have urged airport authorities to establish clearer guidance mechanisms for those who are offloaded and ensure that staff are able to respond effectively to passenger queries.
They have also called for better communication support and regular training for frontline personnel to help passengers navigate such situations.