M'lore: Customer Satisfaction Index of Bajpe Airport Rises

The Hindu
MANGALORE, Jan 29: Even as the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has added new infrastructure facilities at Bajpe (Mangalore) airport during the last three years, the customers have ranked this airport high in providing services.
As per a customer satisfaction survey of airports by an agency for the AAI, Mangalore Airport has scored the highest ranking in the customer satisfaction index among domestic airports in South India.
The survey covered different aspects of an airport. It included attitude of AAI employees, the police and other security personnel, cleanliness at the airport and general aesthetics, drinking water facilities, guidance signage, flight information system, audio system and quality of trolley services. It also studied other facilities such as car parking, ATM service, post office, illumination, bookstall and other working conditions at the airport.
The survey by the Delhi-based Spectrum Planning (India) Ltd. has said that the customer satisfaction index of Mangalore airport had gone up from 75 per cent to 81 per cent between early 2007 and late 2007.
The first round of survey was conducted between February and April 2007 and the second between August and October.
Among the domestic airports of AAI in South India, Mangalore airport has scored the highest customer satisfaction index, M.R. Vasudeva, director of Mangalore airport, told The Hindu.
The agency interviewed 653 customers during the survey. Of them, 284 people were departing passengers and 234 arriving.
As many as 110 visitors to the airport, 11 concessionaries such as shopkeepers and employees of restaurants at the airport, personnel of seven aircraft operators and seven regulatory authorities were also interviewed.
Facilities
The AAI had built a new air-conditioned arrival hall and extended its departure hall to handle at least 250 passengers at a time at both the halls, last year. Introduction of round-the-clock air traffic services for over flying aircraft, setting up of category I Instrument Landing System (ILS) facility, laying a concrete runway (second one) in addition to the bituminous old run way, opening the airport for flight services to West Asia, converting the airport to a profit earning entity, and introduction exchange facility (by a private agency) are some of the major developments at the airport in the last three years. Aircraft operators introduced new flight services to Mumbai and Bangalore, including a late evening flight to Bangalore.
New flight services began to Goa, Kochi and Kozhikode.
A state-of-the art integrated terminal building and associated facilities are being built at the airport at an estimated cost of Rs. 147 crores.