Aviation Ministry insists on use of aerobridges
The Union Civil Aviation Ministry has cracked down on airlines seeking to improve their turnaround time by allowing some passengers to exit through the rear of aircraft using a step ladder, even when an aerobridge facility was available from the front.
Passengers alighting from the rear usually had to take an airport coach or walk longer — something passengers had complained about and the Air Passengers Association of India had pointed out in its newsletter.
A circular from the Ministry says henceforth passengers can only alight through the front door of the aircraft once an aerobridge is docked. The circular mentions that airlines should be using aerobridges more frequently at airports where these are available.
“It has been observed by senior Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials that airport aircraft parking stands having passenger boarding bridges are not being utilised fully. The non-usage of passenger boarding bridges is causing inconvenience to passengers,” it read.
“Since disembarking through the rear door using a step ladder has been stopped, we will need more turnaround time,” an airline official feared.
He explained that an Airbus 320 aircraft with 180 passengers would need between 7 to 9 minutes to deplane if both doors were in use. “If passengers only exit through an aerobridge, an average time of 15-20 minutes is required for disembarkation. This will definitely affect our on-time performance,” the airline official said.
You might also like
Incredible India in 2017
India’s improved ranking in Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index 2017, launches of ‘Incredible India 2.0 Campaign’ and Paryatan Parv were some of the key highlights for Indian Tourism in 2017.
Offbeat Villas – The largest B2B provider of Villas and Residences worldwide partners with One Rep Global
Offbeat Villas, a leading provider of custom technology for professional trip designers, is pleased to announce its partnership with One Rep Global. Offbeat Villas is a B2B booking portal connecting
The Seychelles Tourism Board and Air Seychelles host appreciation evening in India
Seychelles is starting to reap the rewards for having invested much efforts and resources in promoting the destination in India. In spite of being a relatively new market for the