Clipper Lounge, for long the frequent flier's favourite hangout at Calcutta airport and for some the place to tag while posting a Facebook travel update, hosted patrons for the last time on Saturday.

The lounge, run by the Oberoi Group since 1980, has been shut down because the Airports Authority of India declined to extend its contract on technical grounds.

Travel Food Services, the Mumbai-headquartered company that has been appointed the master concessionaire for the integrated terminal, has already set up business and first-class lounges at the new facility.

For decades, Clipper had been the lone lounge option for fliers in the old domestic and international terminals. The choice of food and beverages may have been limited but the courteous staff and the feel-good ambience ensured a faithful clientele, including celebrities.

"Now that the old Clipper Lounge has been consigned to history and with it the polite niceties and courtesies one once associated with Calcutta's hospitality industry, we will be left with the offhanded efficiency of unconcern that governs contemporary compassion in a 'premiere' enclave in a world that's always climbing 'upstairs'. Ha!" Victor Banerjee told Metro.

"I shall miss lounging around Dum Dum airport, the good old-fashioned way, on the ground floor of happy coexistence," said the actor, who on Friday sent a Kookie Jar cake to Clipper with the message: "Goodbye to my friends at the Oberoi Lounge."

Industrialist Harsh Neotia would use the lounge in the old domestic terminal frequently because it was conveniently located beside the security hold.

"In those days, flights often used to get delayed. As soon as I would enter the lounge, there would be a few known faces among those using the lounge. It was nice to chat with friends," he reminisced.

Some would enter the lounge just for the clean washrooms, a stark contrast from the wet and dirty floors, tiles and basins in the rest of the old airport.

Industrialist Sanjay Budhia said he would remember the lounge for the friendliness of the staff. "Clipper was a lounge with class. The staff would call passengers by name and serve with a smile. That's what made it different and distinct," he recounted.

Airline operators said lack of space was a handicap. "The seating capacity wasn't adequate. If passengers from three international flights were to be taken there, space would have been a problem," said an official of an international airline.

A source in Oberoi Airport Services said Clipper Lounge's importance had little to do with the company's balance sheet. "This lounge helped us develop the Oberoi brand," he added.

The contract to run Clipper Lounge at the new, integrated terminal was till February 28. Oberoi Airport Services had written to the airport's director and the chairman of the AAI last November, asking for permission to continue beyond February.

"Sir, we have been serving the passengers at the airport since 1980 with full dedication and seriousness and we are very much keen to keep our presence. It will be our pleasure and we will be delighted to continue our lounge to provide our best services to the VVIP, CIP (commercially important people) and business class passengers," the company said.

The airport authorities turned down the request on legal grounds. "We have already selected Travel Food Services, the master concessionaire for setting up F&B facilities at the new terminal. The agency has finalised deals with several F&B chains. So, legally we are unable to allow any extension to the Clipper Lounge," a senior airport official said on Sunday.

Before the new lounge in the international section came up, airlines would escort their executive-class fliers to the Clipper Lounge in the domestic arena.

Airline operators said shutting down the Clipper Lounge meant fewer options at the airport. "We have few F&B counters in Calcutta compared to Mumbai or Delhi. Closing down one lounge means less options for fliers," said Capt. Sarvesh Gupta, chairman of the Airline Operators' Committee at the city airport.

Airlines had requested the authorities to allow Clipper to continue operating during a recent meeting, Capt. Gupta said.

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