Meet-and-greet (Swagat Sewa) services were introduced at Gaya airport on Monday. A commercially important person lounge (CIP lounge) also became functional. Both will be available in the airport terminal building.
Gaya district magistrate (DM) Kumar Ravi inaugurated both the facilities. The meet-and-greet facility has been outsourced, while the Airports Authority of India (AAI) will control the lounge service. Anyone willing to avail the meet-and-greet service will have to pay Rs 300, while one has to pay Rs 200 for using the CIP lounge for two hours.
The DM assured all possible help from the administration towards the expansion plan of the airport for which around 200 acres are needed. "Land acquisition, which is in process, ran into hurdles in Bishunganj village, which we are trying to sort out," Ravi said.
Airport director Dilip Kumar said: "The facilities were in the pipeline and after the AAI clearance, these are being started one by one. Recently, an art gallery has been opened at the airport. A baggage-wrapping facility would follow. For this, a machine will be installed here."
Globe Ground India, a wing of Bird Group Private Limited, will handle the meet-and-greet facility for two years. The group's executive vice-president, Sanjay Kumar Jha, said: "The facility aims to give assistance in clearing airport formalities and to escort check-in up to the immigration counters, porterage services to unaccompanied minors, elderly, sick and physically challenged passengers, for hiring a car, taxi, hotel booking, arranging tickets, transportation from the aircraft to the terminal building, to assist in reservation and purchase of tickets, catering services, to arrange conference room and service of business centre."
"Because devotees and tourists from different countries arrive here, we would hire interpreters of different languages to provide them assistance. We have hired Burmese and Thai interpreters. A 25-strong team of officials and staff comprises the meet-and-greet service now. Our aim is to create job opportunities for residents in the project," Jha said.
The airport director said the CIP lounge would be available for pilots and business and executive class personnel. There is a VIP lounge at the airport. The need for a separate lounge was felt for long. Gaya airport has registered a constant growth in the past five years. The number of aircraft operating at the airport in the 2010-11 financial year was 590, which surged to 1,868 in the 2014-15 financial year. In the 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 financial years, the number of flights operated was 1,230, 1,592 and 1,528 respectively.
Passenger movement also rose three-fold in the past five years. Apart from scheduled international flights, a number of chartered flights from Buddhist countries also operate, the airport director said.
