Dear all,
i want to share my experience about Pune Airport... obviously the experience is horrible...... I went to receive someone from the airport at night. the jet airways flight was scheduled to land at 11.40pm. we reached the airport on time. but we took time to locate the airport frankly. being the first time I was going to this place, I was shocked..... at the entrance there was a board which said that the entrance is to the airport.... but once you enter the gate its not at at like an airport.... the entire place is dug upside down and there is not even car parking facility. we took 6 rounds of the parking lot till we found a parking- which not was actually a parking, it was my car squeezed between 2 other cars... and dont ask me how much difficult it was for me to get out of the car....
well alls good, the parking also done, now wait for the plane to arrrive... the status board was showing ’’arrival scheduled’’. 11.40pm.... waiting waiting..... 11.45 pm...... waiting waiting..... 11.50 pm.... waiting waiting.... 11.55pm..... waiting waiting.... 12.00am... still waiting...... 12.05am.... 12.10am... 12.15 am.... 12.20 am.... 12.25am.... 12.30am.... 12.35am..... mind you the status was still showing ’’arrival scheduled’’. then suddenly out of the blue the person for whom I have been waiting stands right in front of me...!!!!!!
this is what happened: when jet airway flight entered the pune airspace, there was no place/ runway free where they could land... and FYI there is just one runway in pune airport... so the aircraft hovers above the aerodrome for full 20 minutes. then the pilot probably loses his patience and suddenly the aircraft starts dropping as if a paper rocket is being dropped... lands with a thud on the ground.... hearts beating loudly- in the mouths of the passengers of course... the passengers look out to see that they have landed in one corner of the airport.... they again sit in the aircraft for 20 minutes..... then ultimately they are asked to get off the flight. on getting down they see that all their baggage has been dumped in a tractor and they were asked to pick up their respective baggage from there itself. and the exit??? the passesngers do not exit thru the main exit.... they are made to exit thru a side gate thru which the trucks and oil tankers enter..... so no checking out, no baggage claim... all so simple.
well we turn to go towards the car and go home, but.... I turn and look at the status board, it still shows ’’arrival scheduled’’....