Kolkata Airport

It's big. That's about it. It is a fair effort much better than the old airport. But has a long way to go in order to be taken seriously. Facilities are poor. Staff inefficient. Needs much more to liven things up. Needs wifi. Needs good food more choice and good shops. Needs more counters to cut down check in queues and the luggage scanning system needs to be modernised.

This is probably the most funny terminal I have seen. Nothing looks clean nothing seems to work properly. The best thing about the airport is the relative lack of passenger services. Airport Operator charges hefty amount to our tickets washrooms are not located where it should be. Clipper Lounge is at one of the farthest ends. No announcements in the lounge. Check-in relatively easy then past the numerous security checks. Pharmacy/Medical store is outside the departure lounge but within check-in area and hardly worth looking in as at farthest corner. The only interesting activity was to watch the passengers walking and waiting. Outside Domestic departure there are no trolleys available.

The new airport is spacious and arrival procedures and baggage collection for our international flight were quick and efficient. Customs and immigration staff were pleasant. International and domestic flights now operate out of the same terminal in Kolkata a large "L" shaped terminal with plenty of airbridges and much more space more customs immigration check in etc. Departure procedures were efficient with the exception of the separate requirement for baggage screening prior to check in (they don't have in-line screening). The number of food and beverage offerings is somewhat limited in this relatively new terminal although I understand more outlets will be introduced. If you are travelling business class the Port Lounge (International section) is somewhat small but it has a nice buffet and a variety of beverages. This is a good airport and a huge improvement over what existed before.

This was my first visit to the new integrated terminal at Kolkata. The airport is huge looks good with an all- glass facade and a remarkable design on the roof. The boards outside the airport are small too difficult to read the airline information from the cars. There are five entrances to the airport and it is very difficult (if not impossible) to understand which gate one should use. I entered through Gate 1 and had to walk for a full 15 minutes to arrive at the airline counter (which was closer to Gate 4 by the way). The airport has an in-line baggage scanning procedure in place but the airlines have not started using it. The staff however are quite helpful and try to answer your queries with a smiling face. The airport if working all guns would not allow any queues at all however 60% of the immigration and customs counters re closed so as usual it takes time. Once you are done with the security check is where the trouble begins. There is no good food shop no lounges no shops where you can kill time. I was told that new stores would open in the next few months. The washrooms are relatively clean and I saw people wiping it every now and then. The arrival hall is a huge one fast baggage delivery and lots of carts. Overall a big improvement from the old domestic and international terminals but still lots of work to be done. And someone please tell AAI that this airport needs a proper website.

Maintaining the infrastructure is as important as constructing a world class airport and in terms of those standards this airport would surely disappoint. Entry halls are swanky and wide but though given the space there is no facility for online checking of baggage. There aren't many baggage check-in machines either. Then it is followed by a rude security check procedure. The glass walls are dirty and unclean. No food to eat and the food that is sold is poor quality. Stores are very limited and airport staff are cold and rude. The arrival concourse is just typical of an arrival hall. I would never recommend this airport.

Greeted by helpful airport staff who directed me to the right counter. I arrived at 7pm to board a 10pm flight to Singapore. The airport was sparsely populated at that time. The environment was clean too. So what was lacking? 1) WiFi - Apparently the airport offers a 30 minute complementary WiFi. If you have a laptop iPad or mobile phone all you need to do is to give your mobile phone number to receive a serial number and password. Beyond 30 minutes you need to purchase WiFI. I made several attempts but I did not receive a text message at all. 2) Food If you are hoping to get a bite before you enter the departure lounge you will be bitterly disappointed. There are a handful of cafes offering unappetizing snacks. I would strongly suggest you bring packed food if you are going to be a long while in this airport. 3) Security Tags - When you are checking in be sure you ask for security tags for your hand-carrying bags. They will not tell you this. At the Customs check point the officers will stamp this tag. If you don't have one they would have to find one and then you will get a ticking off for not getting one. How are we to know we need one if this is not practised world-wide and the person at the check-in counter does not tell you? Overall the authorities at Kolkata Airport should look into making our exit a memorable one by making sure proper services are present and efficiently run.

We were lucky to fly from this terminal the day it opened. The art on the ceilings was magnificent the tiles looked the same as at JFK airport. Attitude problem is the biggest in India. The washrooms smell and are humid. Overall: gigantic and spacious airport.

The new terminals are much better than the old ones. It looks great. Overall Look and Feel are better than old airport. However there is not enough options of food/shopping etc. Seating areas are huge and there are plenty of seats everywhere which are nicely maintained. To and Fro from airport to city is also pretty comfortable subject to traffic conditions within the city. Otherwise this is vary good initiative of Govt to have such improved airport in Kolkata.

Facilities so much improved from old terminal. Both arrival and departure areas much more spacious. They will have to work to keep it clean.

This is not an easy airport for tourists / foreign visitors; Firstly be sure you have your printed ticket or boarding pass and passport ready to even enter the terminal building. Secondly beware of the 'staff' who despite presumably being employed by the airport and wearing airport identification badges will extort money from you (demanding a specific amount as "tips" or "monies") - in our case they tried to get around 500 INR from each of us for their 'assistance' which consisted of placing your case on the X-ray machine (which are in the main terminal concourse before the check-in desks) and then wheeling it about 20 feet from there to the aforementioned check-in desks. Despite many places having advanced considerably Kolkata Airport still treats women very differently. Don't make the mistake of having the audacity to walk behind a male that you're traveling with through security you'll be very abruptly pointed to the separate security facilities for females where you are enclosed in a small portakabin type unit with one security guard to be scanned. Kolkata recently expanded it's airport and the new building is attractive and modern however the culture within it hasn't progressed. Unfortunately to visit Kolkata you'll need to suffer the airport and Kolkata is a fantastic place to visit - just beware that departing again can be a bit of an uncomfortable experience.