Kolkata Airport by Subrata Das

11 December 2007   Customer Rating :

Arrival officials were very courteous. A large number of luggage carts available free. The arrival area was clean, though did not look anywhere near the modern and the high-tech US airports that I am so used to. There were taxi wallahs who came in as soon as we went out of the airport but stopped bothering us as soon as we told them that someone was there to receive us. The departure lounge was clean and had comfortable chairs, but was not large enough for the British Airways Boeing 777. There was one gift shop that was too small but some nice stuff at reasonable prices. Unfortunately there was no other shop or restaurant worth the name. In other words, compared to an international airport anywhere in the civilized world, this airport will probably score a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10 for passenger comfort. The security checks were thorough. There was a stall that shrink-wrapped all bags for a nominal fee. If this airport added a few world-class restaurants and expanded the sitting area, Calcutta airport would earn a lot more goodwill from the passengers.

Kolkata Airport by Mark Bickerton

9 December 2007   Customer Rating :

Passed through Kolkata airport again last week, when flying to Chittagong on GMG. The airport really is rubbish. Nobody helps or smiles, most of the staff seem to spend their time chatting to each other and using up all the chairs provided for passengers. Airside there is nothing - not even the putative tea station was open, so you are just stuck in this room with no information and no refreshments. What is it with India and airports?

Kolkata Airport by Mark Bickerton

15 August 2007   Customer Rating :

Intl-Domestic transfer. For those new to Kolkata, please note that the domestic and international terminals are almost next to each other. Taxi wallahs outside will try to get you to take a taxi but you dont need one- its a 5 minute walk and unless its raining, its quite pleasant to walk.

Kolkata Airport by S Ganguly

3 March 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

I visited CCU airport this winter. The arrival area was dirty, but luggage retrieval smooth. The departure area was so small that line extended almost to outside the international airport terminal. Departure booking area was good and clean, immigration check points were also OK. But departure lounge was too small for BA flight. I had to sit on the floor during security check. Is it too much to have Kolkata badly needs a medium size international terminal.

Kolkata Airport by Yuko Tobenai

8 November2006

I just could not believe it. Such a large city which is mal-administered and the airport (both international and domestic) is puny, ugly, overcrowded and a shame on a city which even in 1960's was a pinnacle which other cites in Asia used to look up to. Is this because at the expense of Calcutta (Kolkata) the other cities where the effective politicians lived became great.

Kolkata Airport by Sekhar Ray

18 July 2006

A very small airport with few facilities.It is relatively clean inside but the departure lounge is cramped and there are no comfy chairs to rest in should you have a long wait before your flight. The toilets are not clean or modern. Security is very tight. The lines at the immigration were much slowed down by the staff occupying the counters and working at a very slow speed. What should take minutes, took more than a half hour. The baggage collection depended on one single belt for the entire area; the belt looked like a relic and needed replacing. The long wait for the passport and exit paper check was tedious and time- consuming and made more so by the speed at which the staff was working. Horrible taxi drivers and "luggage helpers" who harass arriving passengers at International from the moment they step out of the building, and rip them off left and right.

Kolkata Airport by Arnab Sengupta

1 June 2006

Arrival – The airport terminal corridors look ancient and poorly painted with uncomfortable smell of old air-conditioners, you have to be guided by airport staff for the baggage collection area as the signs were not prominent. Baggage Collection took a long time, got delayed due to abrupt stopping of conveyer belt for sometime, though started again eventually. Customs officials do take their own time but probably within acceptable limits. What is much appreciated is the officials don’t harass you unnecessarily (for money) unlike other airports like Mumbai/Delhi. This is why I prefer this airport as entry point to India. The exit points after green channel can be crowded depending upon how many flights have arrived. When you step outside make sure you have someone waiting for you otherwise book a pre-paid taxi before leaving (always ask the staff inside the airport in case of confusion). Otherwise taking a taxi outside can be a big pain and there are always aggressive touts waiting to pounce on you. Departure – The visitors lounge is small and looks ancient. The checking is average although the officials are good and helping provided you ask for assistance. The waiting lounge smells cigarette and this is because people can smoke at one corner with the smell spreading around. Also it is very cold at night as the air-conditioner is not climate controlled adding to discomfort. In both cases the passengers are taken to the plane through buses instead of aerobridge. The toilets are ok, but not clean or modern. Don’t expect anything from duty-free shop. Security is very tight. Overall comment – Needs modernisation in terms of facilities and infrastructure upgrade. But this won’t bother you unless you are staying long within the airport. What is more important is that the officials won’t hassle you unnecessary unlike other airports, and this is what matters to you when you are travelling in India.

Kolkata Airport by Swarup Dutta

20 May 2006

Kolkata Airport has changed a lot for better. I find the lounges more spacious and better equipped than the new domestic terminal of Mumbai. Of course its in no comparison with the big International Airport. The security checks need to be managed better to reduce the Q length. There should be more Restaurants and cafes. Also more Passenger Amenities need to be installed. Hope it will improve in near future. Presently there are too few International flights from this Airport. Hope to see more in the coming years.

Kolkata Airport by Vijay Sampat

2 January 2006

On my recent trip to Calcutta, I arrived at the international airport on October 21 and left on December 6, 2005. I was much distressed and made uncomfortable by the physical condition of the airport and by the process of entry and exit. As a former resident of Calcutta, visiting there annually (or every 2 years), I was reminded of the late 60’s and 70’s Calcutta. Dim and grimy light fixtures and signage, soiled and unclean washrooms with water seepage and nonworking water taps and the general dinginess did not make me feel welcome to the city. The lines at the immigration though generally disciplined were much slowed down by the staff occupying the counters and working at a very slow speed. What should take minutes, took more than a half hour. The baggage collection depended on one single belt for the entire area; the belt looked like a relic and needed replacing. Customs officers were scattered about near the final exit in an unorganized way, not at any counters, adding to the confusion and delay. When I left on December 6, a crowded and altogether too small a departure area left me aghast. The currency exchange with only one money-changing agency was in a cramped space with no upright tables or counter space to fill out the forms. I gave up on the idea and was able to exchange money only in Singapore: the process took less than 5 minutes. The long wait for the passport and exit paper check was tedious and time-consuming and made more so by the speed at which the staff was working. I had come in very early to the airport because I had been warned. All this makes me wander if Calcutta will ever be ready to welcome the international passenger, or attract the international business client that it so desperately seeks. In contrast, my domestic flights from the adjacent area of the same airport were smoother, more orderly, with the processing much faster. This area, however, seems to have reached its maximum capacity and could use expansion, more maintenance and sprucing up.

Kolkata Airport by Rahul Biswas

1 May 2004

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata has improved substantially over the past few decades. It's relatively clean and the immigration / customs both inbound and outbound is now pretty good. Expect an interminable wait for your luggage once you disembark and to be assaulted by so-called luggage porters and beggars as soon as you step outside. In recent years, the new Eastern Metropolitan Bypass has made travel to and from the airport somewhat easier. The airport restaurant had been closed for a good bit but is now open again and is fairly good.

Kolkata Airport by Deeshon Munshi

24 April 2004

Being a former resident of Calcutta. I usually fly into CCU from either Bangkok or Singapore. CCU has really changed from that of 20 years ago when baggage handlers used to rip through any bags that very not kevlar reinforced ! The new baggage carousel upon arrival is a respite from the older one but still leaves a lot to be deserved. The new Immigration area is also more roomy, however the computing skills of the officers are not quite up to speed. Unfortunately, almost nothing has happened with the departure lounge and the departure procedure - it is in fact quite a chore to go through still . The last couple of times that I was there, the smoking rooms were incapacitated. Also there is room for improvement in the entertainment department. Bengali's should really greet their visitor a lot heartily than currently on offer !

Kolkata Airport by B Mukherji

11 July 2004

I was surprised at how much better Calcutta/ Kolkata Airport has become in recent years. Once a dump, the domestic terminal is actually the best in India. The staff is friendly and relatively efficient, the terminal is relatively clean, and has more modern facilities than Mumbai and Delhi. Unlike Delhi and Mumbai, Kolkata's domestic and international terminals are adjacent to each other, so you don't have to get ripped off to transfer from one to the other. The international terminal is not quite as clean and as efficient, but still a lot better than Delhi and Mumbai, and even Bangalore, which in spite of being a high tech hub, badly needs a new, modern airport facility. However, Kolkata has three drawbacks: 1) inability to handle higher air traffic, ie not scaleable, and lacks certain technical capabilities resulting in many flights with problems diverting to Bangkok; 2) unable to handle landings in heavy fog during the winter; 3) horrible taxi drivers and "luggage helpers" (NOT!) who harass arriving passengers at International from the moment they step out of the building, and rip them off left and right.

Kolkata Airport by K Müller

22 June 2004

I often use CCU to fly to and from Dhaka, so I use both the domestic and international facilities. Clearly, the domestic terminal is far more user-friendly than its international counterpart, which - particularly in the check-in area - is somewhat cramped and dingy. The major drawback, though, is that there is no covered, air-conditioned walkway to connect the domestic and international buildings. This simply addition would make turn what is a necessary ordeal into a pleasant transit experience.

Kolkata Airport by G Cuda

6 January 2004

A very small airport with few facilities. Hopefully the introduction of an extra flight from BA each week will bring more people through so the standard will rise. It is relatively clean inside but the departure lounge is cramped and there are no comfy chairs to rest in should you have a long wait before your flight. Another point is that to stay in the airport rest rooms you must have flown in and be waiting for a connecting flight. This is not made clear on their website.

Calcutta Airport by O Lloyd

26 November 2003

Calcutta Airport has come up to speed in the recent years, and it's about time too! I only used to fly into CCU because it was the closest International Airport to Orissa, and cut my journey time by a day. However, it was always a tiring and bothersome task fighting my way through the immigration and baggage handling policies they seemed to practice - slow, slower and, at one stage, stop! Flying in wasn't too bad - on a good day, I could be off the plane and in a taxi within the hour (depending on the carrier). However, departing from CCU was a chore - Immigration, then check your baggage tags to bags, then Passport Control, then a small tussle with Security and Baggage Check, then finally the (what seemed like a mile) hike to the plane! However, those days are gone if you fly in with BA - they insisted on a proper Gate being constructed, and it is now up and running! Much to my delight, it's just a hop and a skip to the plane, and then you're on your way. Yes, you still have to grapple with Security and Passport Control, but the last three times I have flown into/out of CCU, I have been spared the ordeal of searching for my bags and tallying them up with my ticket tags.



 

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