Airports have always fascinated me.  They way they buzz with activity all the time.  The operations and logistics they deliver on, night and day.  The amount of traffic a large airport can manage, in a single shift.  And, of course, all the airplanes!

Having enjoyed a visit to Thailand several times in the past, I was quite looking forward to touch down on the new Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thailand.  While I’m thoroughly impressed with the scale of the new Suvarnabhumi Airport of Thailand, I am left quite disappointed with my first visit to the mega aerotropolis.

I’d heard so much about its size and grandeur and its convenient location in between Bangkok and Pattaya.  I’d also heard frequent flyers complain about how it does not live up to the standards expected of it. Frankly, there was a whole lot of curiosity, and not knowing what to expect.  But my experience of a flight in and out of Suvarnabhumi, last month, has been a complete let-down.

Now, I understand that building a modern international airport is no mean task.  Moving operations from one major airport to another, with minimal “down time”, is equally challenging.  But, an international airport, today, is more than a functional transit facility – It is the first impression that a nation has to offer to the entire world!  If managed well, it can be a country’s pride and joy.  (Think, Changi!)  That’s why it was disappointing to see such lacunae in planning and delivery at Suvarnabhumi.

On the morning of my arrival, more than half the immigration counters were unmanned, in spite of a number of international flights arriving in a short span of a few hours.  The signage was inadequate and confusing.  There was no clear indication of where one needs to go for baggage claim, or where the exit was.  The cielings and walls looked unfinished – They wore a look of bare cement, not even paint.  I am not kidding! 

On my departure, there were rows upon rows of immigration counters, separated by partition walls.  While some had serpentine queues, others were virtually empty, with no one to guide unsuspecting passengers to the free counters!  In spite of having a car park that can accomodate 5000 cars, the duty free shops were cubby holed – the size of shops in small, domestic airports… Definitely not the stuff that makes for pride and joy.

Contrast that with my arrival back in Mumbai’s CS international airport, which is presently undergoing rennovation. 

There was a time when the thought of landing back in town from another country would be frightening for frequent travellers.   The queues that would form at the two or three immigration counters would take several hours to clear.  This July, 42 counters were ready to take on all that the international world had to offer.  An extremely well-managed system of a single feeder-line and a manned resource to direct passengers to any available counter, ensured that my immigration process took less than 15 minutes!  Jetsetters I have spoken to subsequently have confirmed that the system is comparable to the best in the world, today.

Surely, there are other things that need to improve in our airports and in our cities.  But that night in Mumbai, it definitely looked like the city was poised for take off!