Kolkata Airport

The only nice thing about Kolkata Airport is the wordings on the ceiling. You need to have more restaurants serving real hot food at the airport especially at the International departure lounge. Honestly it is one of the worst international airport so far. Don't they want tourists to visit your country?

I used the international terminal after six months and noticed some improvements. The business class lounge has been expanded and a bartender manned the drinks desk. A selection of mostly Indian foods was available buffet style. The complimentary wi-fi worked well. An airline staff came by to alert me that my flight would be boarding. The lounge is not very easy to go up to. Hard to locate the elevator; i took the stairs. A couple of new stores have opened including one selling distinctive Bengali handicrafts but the sales clerks absolutely lack a professional attitude. The terminal is still tidy and uncrowded. And the several layers of security are still focused laser-like on checking that the tags on all your carry-on bags are stamped. Immigration was smooth and quick.

We recently flew into Kolkata from Dubai by Emirates. Everything went off smoothly until it was time for us to collect our luggage from baggage claim. The wait was interminable - it took more that an hour for our bags to arrive and by the time we left the terminal we had spent a good two hours there! I have also heard other people complain about the long wait at baggage claim at the international terminal. To say that the experience is energy sapping especially after a long international journey involving multiple connections would be a gross understatement.

Domestic Terminal. Clean and efficient airport. Spacious departure gates and well laid out baggage collection areas. Clean restrooms. Decent selection of shops at the departure gates. Overall a decent airport.

The new Kolkata airport is big compared to the old one and looks very glitzy. However the lack of maintenance is already showing there is a risk that the airport may end up like the older one. At the departure levels of the domestic side there were very few food outlets nothing much to do. The actual departure gate area gets very crowded the aero-bridges do not seem to have started operations. A very average airport.

Clean largely empty airport - quite sterile. Efficient - only one duty-free shop stocked with loads of whiskies and other spirits most of which have no prices on them one news stand / bookstall with two newspapers one in English the other in Bengali and one coffee shop. Very easy security and easy friendly immigration. Arrivals are on ground floor and transfer to departures are on the first floor. No lifts / elevators to get heavy luggage up. There are escalators but they are impractical if carrying large luggage.

Just flew from Bangkok to Kolkota transferring there to another Indian city. Everything easy to negotiate both access and time-wise except that if making a transfer to either domestic or international the only access to the floor above - where one makes the transfer - is via an escalator. I could find no lift to the floor above.

My experience with Kollkata airport security was shocking. No upgrade in airport ambience can help if the people working in there are rude and aggressive. I was travelling on my own with my 8 year old son the airport check-in security gaurd won't let my son queue with me saying its a ladies queue and that he has to go on his own and queue up in the male queue. I asked her if she was joking she said that if I argue they won't let me pass through security. I was amazed that I crossed 3 different countries with no problem for my 8 year old son to queue with me. I felt ashamed.

The new terminal of Kolkata airport is excellent. the queue time is less than 10 minutes and there is no congestion because it is so spacious. Properly cleaned and waiting time for luggage is less. In the last year I have flown from and to this airport 3 times every time same satisfaction. Only issue is that lack of food stalls and other facilities. Also the smoking room is very small otherwise it is excellent.

Recently flew in and out on international flights. The best aspect of the airport is that it has never been crowded though now it takes a bit longer to get out or reach your boarding gate simply because of the distance you have to walk due to the large size (compared to the previous one) of the terminal building. The prepaid taxi booth outside of baggage claim looked a bit chaotic but the arrangements did work out. Certainly not very reassuring or polished. The Port lounge for business class travellers had a selection of food drinks and newspapers in a rather small area but there were enough couches that I did not feel crowded out. A hostess came to inform me that my flight was boarding and that was a good touch. Unfortunately there was no wi-fi something which I would have thought a new airport would have. In short it was a functional airport that got me in and out without a headache or aggravation but certainly not a place to linger for food shopping or catching up on work.