Safety over luxury: For Islamabad airport admin, no services, no problem

BBIA was ranked the fourth worst in the world by an airport rating website; administration plays up high safety rating

ISLAMABAD:

Mopping the floor with dedication, no matter what sweeper Ahadullah Khan did, the burnt out light bulbs did not add shine to his work. A city known for its scenic beauty gives a shocking welcome to many that land in the capital of Pakistan. Located near the junction of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Benazir Bhutto International Airport (BBIA) was recently ranked the fourth worst airport in the world by an online travel website. 

“The Guide to Sleeping in Airports” website gives its visitors an analysis of airports across the globe, the facilities it offers, and the experiences of visitors. With trending complaints, the website compiles their rankings for publication. BBIA landed on the fourth spot, behind Ninoy Aquino Airport in the Philippines’ capital Manila, Il Caravaggio International Airport in Bergamo near Milan, Italy, and the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, India.

Food and good seating are hard to find inside or outside the airport, with a top notch security rating being the only saving grace. PHOTO: MYRA IQBAL/ EXPRESS, FILE

The airport administration defends the condition by boasting about the amenities provided to passengers at the executive lounge, named the Rawal Lounge. “We have everything there. Good service, spacious lounges, wifi internet, clean bathrooms. What more do people want?” said Moeedullah Khan, an aviation expert.

Unfortunately, Rawal Lounge only facilitates VIPs and VVIPs and is inaccessible for a common man. “You have to have contacts or an impressive business card to get in there,” said Sara Ahmed, who was waiting in queue to enter the airport.

As lavish as the administration claims that the Rawal Lounge may be, the other side of the airport paints a different image all together. The flaws of the Benazir International airport are not hard to miss, with wobbling baggage trolleys, dim lights, frightening bathrooms, and duty free shops which are rarely open late at night, when a large number of international flights take off and land.



Worryingly, Islamabad has to bear the least traffic among the list’s toppers. An estimated 3.14 million passengers use the airport annually, compared to 8.9 million for Il Caravaggio, 10.3 million for Kolkata, and 32.1 for Manila.

“These websites are not official; anyone can go and post their comments there. It’s not an authenticated survey or what international reports say,” Khan added.

Stepping away from the state of the amenities, he said that according to the International Civil Aviation Organisation, out of 180 countries surveyed by an international team of experts, BBIA is ranked 10th in the world in terms of safety and security. “We are way ahead of many countries, including India.”

Following Supreme Court orders earlier this year, the recent changes made at the airport have centred almost entirely on security rather than any facilities for passengers. The revival of the complaint cell at the airport assures the addressal of issues in less than 24 hours.

“Due to the new system in place, more problems have been identified and fixed. Therefore, the number of complaints against the airport has also decreased,” said the officer, adding, “People often mix up airport and airline … most of the complaints that we receive are not related to airport facilities,” he said.



Lending credence to the claims of airport authorities, Ghazi Asghar, a recent arrival, pointed out the Hajj rush and the behaviour of people waiting for friends and relatives to arrive. “One person is probably arriving, but an entire baraat (wedding party) is waiting for him,” he said. “This is not restricted to Hajj season, our people don’t seem to care what an ordeal it is for people to pass through tight-packed crowds after a long and tiring international flight.”

The airport administration tried to introduce additional visitor fees to reduce the number of people who would come to pick up passengers. While the move was a relative success, the nominal fee has not been able to keep crowd sizes low for most arriving international routes.

By the end of 2012, new security equipment was installed at Benazir International Airport for a more secure environment. “Due to the armed forces sharing the premises, there is a double check. Nothing is lacking,” said Khan.

Another airport administration official said on condition of anonymity that due to the old structure of the airport and Rawalpindi city bordering edges of the premises, it is hard to expand. “It is congested, but it fulfils the basic requirements,” he said. With funding constraints that slowed the process, the government started with Karachi Airport, then Lahore, and now the new Islamabad Airport, which is under construction. “The government should have prioritised Islamabad. This is the capital and gives off a bad impression,” he said.

“I would rather they fix the bulbs and clean the airport before they go on to make the new airport,” said Shiza Malik, a young social worker.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 28^th, 2013.