Smooth ride for Air India travellers

The merger of Air India and Indian Airlines might not have been a very smooth one but it has had a positive impact for passengers at the IGIA, reports Sidhartha Roy.

The merger of Air India and Indian Airlines might not have been a very smooth one but it has had a positive impact for passengers at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. Those taking Air India’s international flights and then taking a connecting domestic flight of the same airline can now look forward to a hassle-free journey.

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As the erstwhile Air India and Indian Airlines are now one airline, those flying in from other cities to IGIA and flying out to foreign destinations can have a single ticket. The stopover at IGIA and changing of aircraft is not a headache like it used to be.

Prior to the merger, Indian Airlines dominated the domestic sector with international flights also. Air India had some domestic connecting flights like Toronto-Delhi-Amritsar. “Indian Airlines had a system of providing assistance to domestic passengers of its international flights at IGIA and so did Air India,” said an Air India spokesman. Now all passengers get the facility at IGIA.

Apart from a common ticket, international passengers can now check in their baggage right up to their final destination from the domestic point like Lucknow or Jaipur, he said. “Our staff meet the passengers in the Domestic/International terminal and guide them through the airport,” he said. Passengers are transferred in courtesy coach of the airport operator or Air India’s passenger coaches.