New immigration counters at Mumbai Airport

Immigration proceedings to take much less time now

BY A CORRESPONDENT
February 2, 2006

If Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport Authorities are to be believed, immigration clearance time can now take as little as 10-15 minutes per passenger, thanks to retiring director Sudhir Kumar's parting gift of a common immigration facility at Terminal 2-B. Plans for its modification had been under wraps for as long as five years as the talks for privatisation were underway.

The airport has been conducting immigration formalities at Terminal 2-A (for Cathay Pacific passengers) and 2-C (for Air India passengers) with only 16 immigration counters at each terminal. Now a new merged terminal has been inaugurated, and will handle traffic from both 2-A and 2-C for the next five years.

The modification is expected to become operational within a month, and with eight additional counters, will increase the number of counters to 40. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 1.5 crore. It has taken three months to complete.

Kumar hailed this positive step saying, "It will provide more space and save time. The clearance will become much easier and earlier. They will have much wider space, while waiting for the clearance. We will be able to provide them some sitting arrangement. So far the area, which we have was so cluttered that the passengers were finding it inconvenient."

He added, "Formerly, immigration was bifurcated at the two terminals to distribute traffic better but by consolidating the two, there will be minimum delays plus better utilisation of staff." Terminal 2-A in particular is usually heavily congested as it catered to major international airlines. The project involves changing a 8,000-square metre area with vitrified tile flooring, wall and column cladding with aluminum composite panel, a gypsum board false ceiling and a glazed partition. Three escalators and a single lift have been refurbished to prevent any difficulties for passengers in terms of walking distance, which remains unchanged.