For international flyers, transiting via Kolkata to turn hassle-free – Times of India

Kolkata: After successfully implementing the domestic-to-domestic transfer project, Kolkata airport authorities have trained their eyes on a more ambitious international-to-domestic transfer facility that is available in only some of the major international airports that have an integrated terminal with both a domestic and an international wing.
The international-to-domestic transfer will enable passengers, who arrive by international flights and have to make an onward journey to another airport in the country, to directly get into the security hold area of the domestic wing without having to exit the terminal on arrival and then re-entering it at the departure level.
The current system that requires passengers arriving by international flights to re-enter the terminal is time-consuming. Currently, passengers have to collect their luggage after clearing immigration, pass the Customs desk, exit the international terminal at the arrival level, take an elevator to the departure level, clear security at the entrance, deposit luggage at the domestic check-in desk, clear pre-boarding security and then board the flight.
“We have sent a proposal to the Airports Authority of India headquarters that will enable international passengers who arrive at Kolkata airport and then want to transit it to travel to another airport in India to deposit their luggage with the airline in the international arrival area itself after clearing immigration and customs. The passenger will then undergo a security check and move straight into the domestic security hold area to board the flight,” Kolkata airport director C Pattabhi said.
The new facility could save a passenger at least 30 minutes. But beyond the time factor, it would also mean doing away with confusion to passengers not familiar with the airport.
The facility will be of help to Indian carriers like IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet that have domestic and international operations. It can also be availed by Vistara and Go First when these airlines launch international operations from Kolkata. In addition, it will help international carriers that are part of a global airline alliance with Indian carriers as partners or have code-sharing arrangements with an Indian carrier.
“There are many passengers from the eastern region who travel internationally out of Kolkata. This will make the transit through the city a breeze,” said a travel agent.