Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Reconfiguration of passenger terminal building is underway at Raja Bhoj airport. At present, both arrival and departure operations are located on the same floor level and this often lead to significant operational challenges and vehicular congestion especially during peak hours when multiple flights arrive simultaneously. This affects the flow of vehicles particularly those exiting from the departure hall side.
Therefore, the reconfiguration project aims to segregate the arrival and departure level. After completion, the arrival hall will be moved on the lower ground floor while the departure area will remain on the upper ground floor. The separation will streamline passenger flow and vehicular movement at both arrival as well as departure areas.
The reconfiguration work is being taken up in a phase-wise manner. The first phase involves creation of arrival hall on the lower ground floor. It is nearing to completion and is expected to be ready for operation by October this year. In subsequent phases, reconfiguration of the departure hall and Security Hold Area (SHA) will be taken up.
Expansion of arrival hall area
The new arrival hall at the lower ground floor will have an area of approximately 2700 sq/m compared to the existing 2000 sq/m arrival area on the upper floor. This enhanced space will offer improved comfort and accommodate higher passengers throughout.
Expansion of departure area with repurposing of existing arrival space
Once the arrival hall is shifted to the lower ground floor, the 2k sq/m area vacated on the upper ground floor will be utilised for expansion of the departure hall, international arrivals and Security Hold Area (SHA) during subsequent phases of the project, thus significantly enhancing the terminal capacity and processing efficiency of the airport. The increased floor area at both arrival and departure levels will also enable the addition of more number of check-in counters, commercial outlets and modern passenger amenities.
Enhanced passenger facilities in new arrival hall
The new arrival hall will be equipped with modern, state-of-the-art passenger amenities for enhancing passenger convenience including flight information display system (FIDS) for real-time flight status updates, three conveyor belts for smooth and timely baggage delivery, lifts and escalators for seamless movement across different floor levels.
Convenient access to parking
With the arrival hall moving closer to the vehicle parking area (Approximately 150 metres away on the same level) arriving passengers will have easier and more direct access to ground transport options, eliminating the need to descend from upper level along with the baggage.
Streamlining of vehicular traffic flow
Separate vehicular access and exit routes for arrivals and departures will significantly reduce congestion at the city side of the terminal, ensuring smoother access for passengers and visitors. Upon completion of the reconfiguration work, the passenger handling capacity of the terminal building will nearly double.
Ramjee Awasthi, Director Raja Bhoj Airport, told Free Press that the project cost is around Rs 20 crore and Bhopal airport is likely to be the first to have separate arrival and departure facilities for passengers.
