Chaos is reigning at Mumbai's international airport due to overcrowding. The surge in passenger numbers led to angry passengers breaching the barricades and scurrying toward security and baggage check-in belts.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the police are struggling to manage the public because of the sudden surge.
The visuals of the airport posted by a social activist, Binu Varghese, showed a massive crowd at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (T2). Many passengers queued have a weary look on their faces as they continue to wait on for the check-in process to be completed.
These visuals resembled those from Delhi's T3 airport, which has been experiencing a similar situation. The complaints were far too many that the Union government decided to intervene and Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia visited the airport to inspect the matter.
Varghese, sharing a video on his social media wrote, "Massive crowds of passengers were seen moving around in Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMA)Terminal 2, Videos of morning 5 am shot by me. Do plan your schedule."
Many others took to social media and shared visuals of the congestion at Mumbai airport and also slammed the officials concerned for their mismanagement.
A Twitter user shared a photo of the airport and wrote, "Mumbai roads and station had this scene. Guess what next now! Such a chaos that even gates not alloted to airlines with no kiosk and pod. Reason authority changes."
Another user wrote, "Mumbai security perfectly replicated Delhi this morning. Gate no shows in abundance. When the flights gotta leave, it’s gotta leave. Cannot risk the whole day's routings and LATAC’s."
"Heavy rush at Domestic airport security check-in… whoever's planning to travel please take care of extra time," another user advised.
CSMIA Officials say
The officials have maintained that they are woking toward the issue and in event of sudden passenger surge as such, passengers are prioritized as per departure timings.
They have undertaken multiple initiatives to streamline passenger flow, the officials added.
Tweeting from CSMIA's official handle, they explaine, "CSMIA has augmented its manpower resources with the inclusion of ‘Passenger Service Executives’ complemented with Infrastructural facilities to meet passenger expectations and consistently deliver exemplary service standards."
They added that, "Key initiatives include: Passenger Flow and Queue Monitoring System - a digital tool used by the Operation Team to closely monitor passenger footfalls in Security Processing Zone. On Ground terminal operations team are deployed at pre-security check for Security Restricted Articles removal to reduce the rejection rates at Automated Tray Retrieval System (ATRS). Staff deployed at the end of the ATRS machines ensure quick turnaround for security trays."
The officials further explained that Terminal Duty Managers are present at security checks for managing queues and prioritising senior citizens and passengers with child in arm in coordination with CISF.
"Given that, Immigration and Customs are Sovereign functions, active on ground coordination is done for Queue Management and Resource Mobilization. The terminal operations team is deployed at the immigration hall to guide the passengers to designated counters," they added.
The official further stated that Customer Service Executives have been deployed at the curbside for proactive passenger assistance, managing queues at the entry gates and PRM assistance while the Terminal Operations team has been deployed at Self baggage drop kiosks and CUSS check in kiosks to decongest the traditional check in counters.
