GAAR - A World Class Airport Awaits You !

Each time I take an international flight out of Delhi I think this is as bad as it can get, and each time I am surprised by just how much worse it can be.

Heading out to SGP this evening , for example, the new NH8 from Gurgaon to the Airport was a breeze – until you actually got to the airport. Then you see the busloads of people coming from Punjab to catch a flight out somewhere.

There are big signs of GAAR – haven’t figured out the actual acronym but its talking about how ‘A World Class Airport Awaits You”. Well, bring it on now – because I am really ready for it.

There are construction walls and debris all over the place. Lots of people wearing the neon green smocks saying GAAR Can I Help You – and if you can actually stop them long enough to ask them a question they might even tell you.

Well I finally negotiate the long trains of carts and people with luggage who are just generally standing around – isn’t the point of an airport to go somewhere ? when I actually find the queue to enter the airport structure, there are only 2 people waiting to get in. The mob surrounding the entry was just aimlessly hanging around ! (At an airport that looks like its been bombed).

Inside it’s a whole other scene. Wall to wall people ! Wistfully I think of the wall-to-wall carpet in my home in Stormville – very very different !

Thank God I’ve brought a carry-on. Long lines snake around the baggage screening machines. 40 minute lines, at least.

I make 2 false starts and then a GAARs person points me to where they have moved the SQ counters AGAIN. I’ve come very early – about 3 hours before my flight is to depart – and yet the lines for both the SQ flight and the CO flight (Viramgam express to Newark ) which leaves 40 mins after the SQ flight have long lines. It must be the busloads from Punjab!

I notice another queue forming alongside me. I am in my mood today – its extremely hot in the airport – and I’ve decided I will not speak Hindi today. The Punjabi woman edging her cart past me in the tiny space between me and the CO queue apologetically explains that she had gone to remove some stuff from her suitcase because it was too heavy. Another heavy gent pushes in behind her grumbling about how he had to empty some stuff cos he was 5 kilos too heavy. SQ is really enforcing the rules today.

Eventually I get my boarding pass and head towards the immigration counters. Lo and behold they have instituted a queue system and once again I cannot see where it starts. There’s a dog wandering through the hall – except he doesn’t look like a stray dog – shiny black coat and a plain clothes guy walking behind him. What is happening to Delhi International Airport ? Oh wait – World Class!

When I finally find the queue there is no one in it and I make it past immigration and customs. Between holding my US passport face up and not wanting to speak (and defacto passing for a ferang - I’ve dropped the ethnic garb these days ) – I get by without too much trouble.

Outside from customs is a brand new world class duty free shop. Finally! My world class airport. My joy is short lived as I walk behind it and there is the same old crummy airport. I walk over to Gate 10 and even though its 90 mins before departure – its hard to find a single vacant seat. Finally they call the EY211 flight to Mumbai (Air India – I was also wondering) and a whole bunch of seats open up. Imagine going through all this to fly to Mumbai.

Anyway I find a spot in the corner and start to write this – trying hard not to miss the flight to Singapore – and then I get it. From Indira Gandhi International Airport you can get to all these places where a World Class Airport Awaits You !