Report card on airports out, score: average

New Delhi: Only 44 per cent air passengers rate the overall experience in Indian airports as “good” and the rest term it as “just okay”, says a poll conducted by CNN-IBN and research group AC Nielsen.

Mumbai Airport was voted best overall airport and also the safest in the ‘State of the Airports’ Poll. Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai were voted as the top three airports in the country and Hyderabad’s old airport one of the worst.

Baggage handling and its safety was the biggest irritant at airport, passengers told the survey. As many as 38 per cent passengers have found things missing from their baggage up—many said this had happened to them thrice. Cleanliness and unavailability of waiting area were the next two top irritants.

The time taken to commuting to airports also irritated passengers. As many as 45 per cent of them said it took one to two hours to reach their city’s airport and 33 per cent said it took less than 30 minutes. Nine per cent passengers said it took them three to five hours.

As far as connectivity to airports is concerned, over half the people surveyed want the airport within 15 km, another 38 per cent want it to be within 25 km and just 10 per cent are okay with an airport more than 25 km away.

Three quarter of those surveyed want more than one airport for their city and three-fourth preferred private airports because they are sure that these will provide better service.

Commenting on the findings of the poll Aviation Minister Praful Patel told CNN-IBN: "I am not saying it is pardonable, but it is something that can happen in any part of the world. I have travelled with great difficulty even in developed airports."

“There is light at the end of the tunnel—with many more airports gearing up to meet global standards but all that will not happen overnight. Rome wasn't built in a day,” he said.

Survey methodology

The nationwide poll conducted by AC Nielsen had a sample size of 1,082 respondents across six Indian metros in the age band of 18 + years who were both frequent and recent air travellers.

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The poll, conducted over the last two months, assessed factors like the facilities available, user satisfaction, connectivity, quality of infrastructure, the pros and cons of privatisations, etc.

Pilots from across airlines were also asked to rate the airports based on parameters like landing ease, runway conditions, susceptibility to bird hits, night landing, etc. The findings of this poll help demonstrate the true state of India’s airports and what the public feels are the areas for improvement.