"The Indian Airport Maze Part I: Why privatisation is the key"

Tuesday, September 16, 2003

THE AIRPORT MAZE PART I 
Why privatisation is the key 
By Amrita Dhar 
India - The Business Standard


Less than a week after the government decided to privatise the Mumbai and
Delhi airports, a civil aviation ministry official put the move in context. 

"The difference between the Delhi and Mumbai airports and other
international airports is that of a slum and a five-star hotel," he said. 

Consider this:

   A passenger arriving at the Delhi and Mumbai airports takes at least two
hours to leave. At Singapore's Changi Airport, baggage claim and Customs
checks require 30 minutes 

   Across the world, a passenger spends 30 seconds at the immigration
counter, in India one needs 2 minutes 

   The world's average duty-free spending at airports is $20 per passenger
and the Asian average is $8. In Mumbai and Delhi the spending per passenger
is $1.5 

   Across the world, airports use hands-free security checks, while in
India, frisking is in fashion. Door-frame metal detectors purchased by the
Airports Authority of India (AAI) a couple of years ago are defective.
According to an International Air Transport Association survey, the Delhi
and Mumbai airports were ranked last and second last, respectively, in a
list of 57 airports. 

The parameters were ambience, restaurants and hotels, shopping and parking
facilities, waiting areas and lounges, connectivity inside and outside the
airport, immigration, baggage clearance and Customs and other facilities. 

The airports were evaluated on a scale of 1-5. While the world average was
3.6, Mumbai and Delhi scored 2.6. 

The Mumbai and Delhi airports have no branded shopping outlets and most of
them are managed by the India Tourism Development Corporation. 

The Delhi airport has about 12 shops, while Mumbai has 15. Changi has around
70 shops, while Charles de Gaulle has 45 at a single terminal. 

At the Mumbai and Delhi airports, passengers require at least 30 minutes to
reach the city and the only mode of transport available is the taxi. 

Most airports across the world, however, have inter-modal transport
facilities. An express rail link connects Heathrow to Central London in 15
minutes, while the Frankfurt airport is located on a high-speed rail
network, which connects it to all parts of Germany. 

Other airports such as Charles de Gaulle, Moscow Domodedevo and the
Birmingham International airport are investing heavily in upgrading
transport links. 

While the Heathrow airport, on average, spent $1.4 million per day over the
past few years on customer service development and other facilities, the
last investment made in Delhi was Rs 40 crore to install a Category III A
landing system in Runway 2 in 2000. In Mumbai, the government invested Rs
130 crore in 1999 to build Terminal 2C. 

No wonder, the Mumbai airport serves only 42 airlines and Delhi 36.
Frankfurt caters to around 100 airlines, Heathrow 90 and Changi 60. 


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