It’s a minor feature, but one that will be of immense benefit to passengers taking flights out of Chennai, particularly those travelling abroad. Chennai airport is planing to set up weighing scales outside the terminals to allow passengers to discard any excess baggage there itself.
Airport director G. Chandramouli said they have called for tenders to procure machines and have them installed soon. “We plan to have seven machines outside both terminals. It should be in place in two months. This will help passengers to a great extent as they can weigh and leave the excess baggage with those seeing them off,” he said.
Airlines charge a hefty sum for each kilo beyond the allowed baggage allowance. For instance, Air India allows passengers to carry 25 kg as check-in baggage (for destinations like London and the U.S., it permits 46 kg). In case the passenger exceeds the limit, she has to pay Rs. 250 per kg for the domestic sector and ₹ 1,250 and above in the international sector.
Similarly, in IndiGo, the free check-in baggage allowance is 15 kg. The airline charges ₹ 100 for first five kilos extra and Rs. 250 for every kilo after that in the domestic sector. and ₹ 525 for each kilo in the international sector.
Passengers say this initiative will save them last-minute anxiety about paying for excess baggage. Right now, baggage is only weighed when a passenger checks it in.
Mukunth Iyer, a passenger from Chennai, said, “It is particularly difficult when I go abroad on a holiday. A year ago, when I flew to the U.S. for the first time, I paid Rs. 5,000 for excess baggage. If they have a weighing scale outside, then I may be able to give the excess content to my family members who come to see me off. Otherwise, once you enter the terminal, you cannot come out again on any excuse.”
