Sign in

Replicating ‘Udaipur model’: MBA, hotel mgmt graduates to man help desk at Pune airport

The ‘May I help you?’ desk would soon come up as the Airports Authority of India is in the process of floating tenders for the same

Updated on: Feb 21, 2020, 17:05:17 IST
Hindustan Times, Pune | By
Share
Share via
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
Copy link
  • copy link

The Pune airport will soon get a help desk manned by MBA and hotel management graduates who would be specially trained to escort passengers who need additional help in navigating around the airport and getting into the flight.

The Pune airport will soon get a help desk manned by MBA and hotel management graduates who would be specially trained to escort passengers who need additional help in navigating around the airport and getting into the flight. (Rahul Raut/HT PHOTO)
The Pune airport will soon get a help desk manned by MBA and hotel management graduates who would be specially trained to escort passengers who need additional help in navigating around the airport and getting into the flight. (Rahul Raut/HT PHOTO)

The newly appointed Pune airport director Kuldeep Singh, who had set up such a help desk at the Udaipur airport where he was the director, is now working to replicate a similar model at the Pune’s Lohegaon airport.

The ‘May I help you?’ desk would soon come up as the Airports Authority of India is in the process of floating tenders for the same. Singh said, “We will hire a private agency to provide manpower to man the desk. We will make sure that the desk is manned by those who are at least graduates in hotel management or MBA pass outs who would have the professional behaviour required to provide assistance to those passengers who need additional help to move around inside the airport.”

Currently, there is only one terminal manager who looks after such passengers. The new desk would have at least six-eight people at one shift which makes a total of 18-24 people who would be specially hired for this job. Passengers, including disabled people, pregnant women and elderly, can benefit hugely form the initiative, said Singh. Singh further said that once the tender is floated which is most like to happen by Thursday, it would take another 45-60 days for the desk to actually be set up inside the airport premises.

Pune to Kolkata direct flight

Air Asia will start flights from Pune to Kolkata starting from March 1. The flight would take off from the Pune airport at 10:30 am and start from Kolkata for its return journey at 2:30 pm. A 180-seater Air bus would be used for the flights.