For the benefit of passengers who land at the city airport without a Tamil Nadu e-pass, counters have been set up by the State government in the arrival hall.
Five such counters now issue nearly 150 passes a day on an average, an official said. “This week alone we have issued nearly 1,000 passes. Staff can also clarify on other queries. It also works like a help desk. Passengers can always reach out if they have a problem,” he said. Counters may increase as passenger traffic goes up, he added.
Officials of Airports Authority of India (AAI) said the facility might be helpful for passengers who take the flight at the last minute to rush to the city in case of an emergency. Sometimes, passengers who have had to attend a funeral or some family emergency won’t have the time to register on the TN e-pass portal.
“Such emergency passes may be cleared quickly, but the passenger may forget to get one in the urgency. For them, this facility will be of help,” an official said.
When asked if the number of flights will be increased, AAI officials said they haven’t received any information from the State government till now.
