Tale of Two Airports

I love airports because being at an airport means we are able to travel and we live to travel !!!

Some airports are awesome and some are terrible, but in India every airport is unique, despite all efforts to bring in the same kind of stores, the same look and feel. That’s probably because each state of India is so unique. Actually every 100 kms our country changes completely – food, dress, people’s behaviour, water, – nearly everything. I hope in the name of development we don’t get boxed into “standardised” stuff.

In Nov 2021 we had made a trip to Chennai and the experience at the Chennai airport while exiting was underwhelming as it always is. There is something about the Chennai airport that isn’t right !! Can’t put my finger on it but it just isn’t ok. When it was newly rebuilt, the wall tiles kept falling off. The security check is a mess always with people jostling to get ahead as though the plane will fly just their seat first 🙄. The food options are limited etc etc.

Chennai Airport – underwhelming

When I was standing in line at the Chennai airport today, a lady went past me with her daughter towards the security check booth. I don’t know how far back she was on the queue. The young CRPF lady at the security booth, sent her back and asked me to come in as I was next in line. She then asked me as to why I didn’t object to that lady jumping the queue. I told her, I have a short fuse and I generally get into a fight every time I exit from the Chennai airport and this time I didn’t want to do that, so I just kept quiet and ignored the queue jumping.

Well, I had to find something to complain about the Chennai airport otherwise my trip would not feel complete 😁. Our gate was from the ground floor, so we got Amma to sit in a chair in front of the gate and Krishnan and I just took a walk around. See the picture below –

In order to maximise space, the great architect who designed the Chennai airport has placed the toilets right next to a cafe !! I don’t know about health hazards but just the thought of having a public toilet next to a cafe is gross. I know that in Singapore, there are toilets built into Kitchens – I find that gross too.

Do read my earlier post – The Most Disappointing Airport in India ?

Delhi Airport – Art wasted !

We landed at T3 and our baggage carousel was belt number 8. As we picked up our baggage and were about to exit, I looked up and saw a series of paintings by the great Paresh Maity. Seriously ?!! Somebody obviously doesn’t value Paresh Maity ! His stunning paintings have been put up at a place where someone “may” notice them accidentally.

Can someone speak to someone and then someone till this gross negligence is rectified ? Paresh Maity’s works have to be at a place where they will be seen by one and all. I am no architect or designer, but there are several kickass ones in our country. Get them to redo this space.

The tale of the two airports didn’t end there 😁.

Car Rentals

We thought of taking a Carz-on-Rent cab back home instead of the Meru. Wrong choice ! While we managed to bring down the cost of the trip, the first car that we got into didn’t have air-conditioning ! Then we got shifted to another car whose air-conditioning was passable. Looks like they are struggling to keep up the fleet of cabs.

Suggestion – Use Uber or Meru at T3 and don’t waste time at any of the car rental kiosks that are inside the airport.

Airports need to think about the passengers convenience a lot more. The Delhi and Hyderabad airports are the best in India with Mumbai coming a close second. Haven’t been to the Bangalore airport for quite some time now so can’t comment. Chennai airport is a long way away from being counted even.

#ChennaiAirport #DelhiAirport