The expanded Chennai airport may have snazzy steel and glass terminals but is yet to have a proper website where passengers can access live information on flights and other amenities.
An online petition started at change.org three months ago by a passenger now has around 62 signatures addressed to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) board.
The current website, handled by AAI's Delhi headquarters, has basic information about airlines, boarding gates, parking rates and others but does not contain live flight updates as displayed on websites of airports at Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, all private-run. AAI updated the site in January but its design remains stale and unwelcoming.
Air Passengers Association of India (APAI) national president D Sudhakara Reddy said, "Gone are the days when airports had static websites. Now, people need live information. There is no need for a person to go to airport and wait till a flight arrives to pick up a passenger. You can look at the flight status and start from home accordingly." In 2013, AAI officials said they were working to introduce passenger-friendly features including live information. The plan is yet to take off despite a proposal to invest and assign a dedicated team.
The website was updated recently to include a new photo of the new terminals. But, the design and information are either dated or are unappealing. In contrast, website of Bengaluru International airport (BIAL) has live updates on arrival and departures, weather, connectivity to the city, services available for passengers and visitors.
Similar are the features of websites of Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad airports as well. In Chennai, an AAI-developed mobile app aimed at helping travellers is yet to become active on all platforms.
To Read the News in Full 18/03/16 V Ayyappan/The Times Of India
An online petition started at change.org three months ago by a passenger now has around 62 signatures addressed to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) board.
The current website, handled by AAI's Delhi headquarters, has basic information about airlines, boarding gates, parking rates and others but does not contain live flight updates as displayed on websites of airports at Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, all private-run. AAI updated the site in January but its design remains stale and unwelcoming.
Air Passengers Association of India (APAI) national president D Sudhakara Reddy said, "Gone are the days when airports had static websites. Now, people need live information. There is no need for a person to go to airport and wait till a flight arrives to pick up a passenger. You can look at the flight status and start from home accordingly." In 2013, AAI officials said they were working to introduce passenger-friendly features including live information. The plan is yet to take off despite a proposal to invest and assign a dedicated team.
The website was updated recently to include a new photo of the new terminals. But, the design and information are either dated or are unappealing. In contrast, website of Bengaluru International airport (BIAL) has live updates on arrival and departures, weather, connectivity to the city, services available for passengers and visitors.
Similar are the features of websites of Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad airports as well. In Chennai, an AAI-developed mobile app aimed at helping travellers is yet to become active on all platforms.
To Read the News in Full 18/03/16 V Ayyappan/The Times Of India
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