Life just got easier for passengers taking a domestic flight connection through Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA). The airport’s new domestic to domestic passenger transfer facility is expected to save time and decongest the premises, especially now that passenger footfall has increased.

New facility

If you ever had to rush through an Indian airport while trying to catch a connecting domestic flight and wished there was an easier way, then Mumbai airport is leading the way. To ease passenger experience, CSMIA’s Terminal-2 now features a dedicated domestic to domestic passenger and crew member transfer facility to reduce the time taken for onward connection.

CSMIA has become the first airport in India to offer such a facility, which features all the necessary screening infrastructure and pre-embarkation security checks conducted by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). An airport official explained the benefits of this new system, stating,

“This transit area will considerably cut down the Minimum Connection Time (MCT) for transfer passengers and crew members, thereby enabling passengers with a shorter time gap between connecting flights to board.”

“Besides, it will add flexibility to the airline operators in planning their flight schedule and rostering of crew members as they will now be able to accommodate passengers with a lesser time interval between their connecting flights.”

How will it save time?

There are standard protocols for domestic connections in India, which require passengers to exit the terminal after landing and then re-enter to catch the connecting flight. The new facility bypasses this routine of exiting and re-entering and eventually saves time.

This could particularly be beneficial for those who have a tight connection or are running late for any other reason. The latest move is also expected to decongest the terminal premises by channeling connecting passenger movement through a different area.

If this proves to be a success in easing the process, perhaps other busy airports in the country could follow Mumbai’s lead.

Busy times again

On the international side, things have gotten a lot busier at Mumbai airport. On March 27th, the day the Indian government lifted the ban on scheduled international flights, Mumbai saw 109 international arrivals and departures, according to the Times of India.

The next day, as reported by the Indian Express, the airport operated nearly 238 commercial international flights, most of which were discontinued during the COVID pandemic.

Mumbai is also back on the map for many international carriers, which are either increasing the frequency to the city or adding back previously suspended services. Emirates is bringing the A380 back to the city, increasing the total of weekly flights to 35. In fact, Mumbai is Emirates’ third-largest destination worldwide, after London-Heathrow (42 weekly flights) and Male (38 weekly flights).

LOT Polish is also set to return to Mumbai with a Dreamliner service, while Finnair’s eight destinations from its Helsinki base also feature the city.

Have you ever had to connect a domestic flight through Mumbai? Do you think this new facility will help ease the process? Do share your opinions below.

Source: The Indian Express, The Times of India