India’s first ‘affordable' airport food outlet in Kolkata gets 900 customers a day: Report

The UDAN Yatri Cafe is located in the departure area of Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport.

Published on: Jan 22, 2025, 16:14:32 IST

By HT News Desk | Edited by Abhyjith K. Ashokan

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India's first and only ‘affordable food outlet’ in an airport has seen massive success, attracting a daily footfall of around 900 customers in its first month itself, news agency PTI reported.

A view of the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) airport is seen decked up with Christmas decorations ahead of the celebrations of its 100 years of flight operations, in Kolkata, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (PTI)

The UDAN Yatri Cafe, located in the departure area of Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport, serves tea for instance, at a price of as little as ₹10 while from other places generally, it can cost many times more.

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Similarly, air travelers can buy a bottle of water for ₹10, while coffee, a sweetmeat, and a samosa cost ₹20 each, according to the report.

The cafe was set up by the ministry of civil aviation, in association with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) after a large number of passengers complained about airport food being overpriced, with some places charging as much as 200% more than restaurants, the report read.

It is however, operated by a private company.

This figure was from a survey by online social platform LocalCirles which dound out 60% of the 28,000 surveyed airline passengers in 309 districts found airline food costed 100-200% more.

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Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, who inaugurated the cafe during the airport's centenary celebration on December 21 last year, was impressed by the response the eatery got.

“Since the day I took oath as Civil Aviation Minister, my mission has been to make air travel more affordable and accessible for every Indian," he wrote in a post on X (Formerly Twitter). "The UDAN Yatri Cafe at Kolkata Airport, India’s first affordable food outlet at an airport, is a significant step in that direction.”

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He added that as the eatery completes one month, he was "deeply moved by the positive response from travelers.”

There is also a possibility that such types of low-cost cafes would be set up at other airports too, according to the report.

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HT News Desk
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