’Swagat Seva’ pax assistance, at MIA,Mangaluru Airport

’Swagat Seva’ pax assistance, at MIA,Mangaluru Airport

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Aug 30, 2016: Passengers at MIA, Mangaluru International Airport can now obtain  assistance from designated staff for check-in at departure and for taking a taxi on arrival. But it comes with a fixed fee, Swagat Seva.

The  AAi, Airports Authority of India  has launched ‘Swagat Seva’ service (meet and greet) at the airport from August 18. The fee per head is Rs. 250.   J.T. Radhakrishna, director of the airport told media that the same service was available at some other airports in India. A passenger should make the payment at the counters at the entrance of the departure and at the arrival hall.

While departing, the staff would take the luggage, assist in check-in and other procedures and lead them to the security hold area where passengers would be made to sit before boarding a flight. In the arrival hall, they would take the luggage, take a taxi and help till they leave.

The particular service helps many new passengers who are not familiar with formalities, the director said.  He said that passengers have begun giving suggestions on the Twitter account of the airport @aaimlrairport opened since August 22. The account was being opened in all airports in the country for giving feedback and suggestions.  “It will help in the improvement of the airport for better passenger requirements and customer satisfaction,” he said.

The director said that some have suggested that some foreign airlines could start operating to and from Mangaluru. It would break the monopoly of some airlines. Mangaluru airport handled 16.75 lakh passengers in 2015-16 as against 13.07 lakh in 2014-15. The airport handles direct flights from Mangaluru to various destinations in West Asian countries and to some domestic locations. As SpiceJet would operate a new daily flight between Mangaluru and Dubai from October 30 there would be four daily flights between the two cities.

When the new flight services became operational the airport here would have eight daily flights with 16 operations in the international sector.  In addition, the airport now handled 15 daily domestic flights with 30 operations.