Dubai - Mangalore AI Express : Mind Your luggage

Daijiworld News Network

Dubai, Nov 1: Air India Express, India's first budget airline which operated to Mangalore on October 3 the very first International flight at Bajpe is currently experiencing heavy rush from the Dubai - Mangalore passengers as well as heavy baggage.
Over the last two weeks or so, passengers are carrying heavy baggage despite of restriction of 30kg per person. Now that the hassle of changing the aircraft in Mumbai has been totally eliminated, it is possible that passengers are carrying extra luggage even by paying excess fare. Though such passengers willingly pay the excess fare, the aircraft's infrastructure and handling facilities at Mangalore airport appear to be unable to cope with the excess.
Recently some of the passengers who travelled by the direct flight have faced inconvenience with part of their luggage arriving on later dates. Excess luggage is being despatched by Air India Express' next available flight because of the capacity problem or local handling problem at destination port.
A few passengers have requested daijiworld to address the issue with the authorities concerned. Upon a request from daijiworld, S. Talwar, a top executive of AI Express said that passengers have to restrict their carriage of check-in baggage to maximum 30kg and handbag up to 7kg. This could avoid arrival of luggage at the destination by the next flight.
Talwar further said, "Although we are taking corrective action on the booked profile of flights, carriage of excess baggage needs to be discouraged with immediate effect. We do appreciate that passengers are keen to carry EBG on payment, but you will understand that the situation arising on account of left-behind baggage is causing great inconvenience to our passengers and leading to avoidable complaints. The problem gets compounded due to inadequate infrastructure facilities at Mangalore Aiport and thrice-a-week services of AIE."
When contacted, the Mangalore airport authorities said that measures have been taken to solve this problem. They added that flights had been coming full and all efforts were being made to avoid any chances of inconvenience.
"Initially we faced some inconvenience. As everyone knows, Mangalore airport is not fully equipped international airport. Only because of the pressure from the people, the government was obliged to fly international flights. Some genuine inconvenience will have to be tolerated at times," said an official who did not want to be named.