Airliners-India.com

sabya99

Sabya’s passage through Kolkata’s new Integrated terminal ( 2013 )

Waiting for Kolkata flight and transhipment at Del: Upon disembarking we were escorted to transit passenger lounge straight ahead. Here our passport and other documents were checked but not stamped, hand luggage examined under X-ray machine. I was asked to proceed for gate 22A. Now I am walking through a nice lobby with lots of duty free shops around me. Nice chocolates, perfumes, cigars and liquors are being sold. The price of all these items are very much similar to JFK duty free shop. I thought desis could buy their booze from DEL T3 instead of JFK. Prices were very much the same when quoted in dollars. I also looked all around for a picture of mighty Indira Gandhi but no luck perhaps DIAL did not read my earlier posts. A little later I noticed a huge statue ( 10 feet ) of smiling Buddha. I stood in front of it for some time and all my tensions were relieved, I felt relaxed. At last I arrived gate 22A and I have five hours to go. This new T3 terminal was really comfortable with clean rest rooms, food court and shopping arcade. That five hours became six and half hours when I boarded the aircraft.
Flight to CCU on an A321:
Aircraft was full ,only one or two seats were empty. It took off from runway 11-29 under Cat-1 condition without any centreline lights. AI-22 flight path runs over Lucknow, north of Varanasi and Gaya, then to Asansole/Durgapore area. Within ten minutes of departure dinner was served ; chicken Marcella, rice, salad, bread roll ,butter, rice pudding and coffee. About 200 km. From Kolkata I noticed reduced engine power and aircraft losing altitude. Perhaps this area is near Durgapore steel city. I could see large urban areas with street lights and some industrial sheds. Then again we were in dark area, but this time we were east of Kolkata. Suddenly lights of east Kolkata/Bidhannagar area came into view. I could also see the vast dark east Kolkata wet lands. The south marker beacon of NSCBI airport is located here and the aircraft started to take two clear circular turn over here. Now I could see streets and high rise building, but one could not see the lights of NSCBI airport from here. This glide path is about 10 miles long. Once ILS contact established aircraft steadily glided down the beam . This approach on south side of main runway is Cat-1 approach. On a foggy low visibility condition this side could not be used. Now I got the full view of Bidhannagar township . This is the future high tech Kolkata, no slums and well planned township. I could see cars on the street even at this time. Suddenly airport perimeter road, then south side of runway complex ,delta taxiway and extended secondary runway. I could clearly see the integrated terminal with all its lights on. By now we are on touchdown zone of south side of main runway 01R. Pilot applied reverse thrust and aircraft came to halt just before alpha taxiway ( local time 11.00 PM )
CCU airfield at night time:
Night time airfield is full of multicolor sign boards. Near the alpha taxiway a sign in black over yellow back ground. Violet lights indicates taxiway edge limits. Our aircraft entered into alpha taxiway. This is night time, secondary runway acting as taxiway. So its edge lights are violet. A little later as we were taxing down the secondary runway I noticed signs for taxiway B, Taxiway C and Taxiway R (Roger, the new rapid exit taxiway ) all in bright multicolor format. Aircraft entered taxiway adjacent to old international parking bay. I could see now defunct old international terminal ,it is full of old memory for myself. Then a left turn in front of domestic terminal. I could see the integrated terminal nicely attached with the domestic terminal by a kind of walkway. Most aerobridges are retracted, their lights are off. But south apron area full of parked aircrafts. Our aircraft took a right turn in front of Indian Airlines hangar complex and then parked right next to coast guard hangar complex ( see GE picture ). I am impressed with the transformation of south apron area.
I was expecting one of the glass aerobridges to be connected with our aircraft but alas a small ladder was attached. We got into a nice bus and dropped in front of ground floor of the terminal. Still construction is going on, smell of paints, construction debris all around even overhead electrical line hanging around. There were no sign of any signage, but we found a nice glass elevator which took us to 3rd floor. Ahh, we are locked up , all glass panels are locked from inside. Someone from inside gave us a hand signal to proceed to second floor, we took this elevator again back to second floor. Nearby a huge hall marked IMMIGRATION.
New Immigration Hall:
The Immigration hall is a real nice addition of this terminal and this huge hall could accommodate say 800-1000 passengers with rest room. As I walked into this hall around 11.30 PM three international flights have landed from Singapore, Hong Kong, Dacca. I noticed people coming from Bangladesh for medical treatment in wheel chair , pleasure traffic from Singapore, techies coming from West by AI102. It took me about 30 mins. to get approved. Inspectors speak English, Bangla and Hindi and they are not green troops; a big relief. I walked down to the luggage claim area on the ground floor. Huge luggage/ arrival area has about eight carousels but only one was working. It took me an hour to pick up my luggage. There are some cheap paintings on the wall but very little signage. Very few handlers were working here. Some overhead electrical fixtures were broken and needs to be replaced. At this hour rest room was dry but poor quality plumbing fixtures may have to be replaced down the road.
Huge lobby took me to exit area of arrival lounge. I noticed green and red channel custom check points have been set up. From inside the arrival lobby I noticed a large row of at least 200 yellow Amby’s parked outside this lounge. Once outside I met my folks and then wheeled down to the underground garage. This garage nicely blend with overall landscape has a capacity of 1000 or more cars. Inside the garage floor two handlers fast asleep on a road divider holding a bottle of booze in their hand. It is now 1 A.M, we drove past the check points and toll plaza all the way to VIP road. Once upon a time this road was a nice thoroughfare now encroachers have occupied it. Trash and junkies all around, rapid slummification taking place here. I was surprised to see lack of CISF cops around here. A 2.5 billion rupees terminal flanked by such filthy place ? AAI needs to think hard. VIP road must be reclaimed from the hands of encroacher no matter what the consequences are. This will be the entry point of future Kolkata! Are they going to give Kolkata something like Sahar Airport,BOM? An hour later I arrived my south Kolkata home and touched my sick mom. That’s how my 8000 miles long trip to CCU ended.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Will be posted on Sabya’s facebook wall. Coming up Sabya’s home coming to New Jersey from Kolkata ( 2013 ).
_________________
Sabya99

sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

Mr. Ganguly, on behalf of all AI.netters, let me wish your Mummy a speedy recovery We hope and pray that she gets better soon.
Thank you for yet another highly detailed report, replete with your incredible sense of observation, and vivid descriptions.
- Yes, Delhi duty free rates are generally very competitive, if not better, in some cases, with respect to Booze and Perfumes.
- I find it really amazing as to how you track a plane's progress in such level of detail: which town, which city, which place, what are your recollections of the location - it all adds to a sublime experience
- Since you landed from the south, there was no question of using your favourite `Kilo' taxiway, but we are glad that you found the newer `Roger'. Roger that!
Cheers, Sumantra.

sabya99 · Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 5:38 pm Post subject:

1) I get lots of inspiration from comments made by you, Mr.Pal and others in this forum. That helps me keep going.
2) Tracking down the flight path is not that difficult. My A321 had real time map which gave me a quick fix over the flight path. Also I have flown so many times that I could remember the vicinity of CCU, BOM, DEL, JFK etc. A knowledge of GE map helps a lot.
3) I want younger generation to take interest about these navigational issues. There are more to see outside the aircraft than inside!
_________________
Sabya99

stealthpilot · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 2325 Location: BLR, DXB

Great TR, wish your mother a speedy recovery.

Wonderful detail, your description made me miss CCU- can't wait to go back Smile

The new terminal sounds like an improvement but honestly if the management stays with the government theres no hope .... drunkards lying around to bad signs to wondering who cleans the toilets Rolling Eyes

_________________
eP007

sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

PAL@YWG · Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 11:42 pm Post subject:

sabya99 · Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 7:13 am Post subject:

Thanks forum for the kind wards. Very Happy

I think AAI hastily inaugurated this terminal to avoid public outcry. Construction work still going on at the ground floor level. Not all aerobridges are installed. I will give you more information about the departure area soon. But please remember this is the starting point of a modern terminal in this part of India. May be based on this terminal NSCBI airport will be expanded, passenger load will go up and CCU will be really entry point of eastern India. I look forward for those days. Perhaps AAI will be defunct by then but this nice terminal will remain to serve city of Kolkata for years to come.
_________________
Sabya99