Washrooms, signage, and traffic chaos in front of the terminal — Calcutta airport’s persistent trouble spots surfaced again during passenger interactions with airport authorities on Wednesday.

As part of Yatri Sewa Diwas celebrations, officials greeted arriving passengers and solicited feedback about their airport experience. When Metro spoke separately with these travellers, a familiar pattern emerged: some longstanding issues are being addressed, while others persist.

Signage still lacking

Soumya Dhara, 35, arrived from Chennai on Wednesday morning with her seven-month-old daughter. Despite knowing a baby care room existed somewhere in the arrival area, she couldn’t locate it when she needed to feed her child.

“I know there is a baby care room inside the terminal, but there is no signage, so I can’t locate it,” said Dhara, who was visiting her parents in Hooghly district. “Other airports have clear signage showing the baby care room because this is a very important facility. If there is no clear board or indication, what is the use of having the facility?”

While praising the airport’s cleanliness and helpful staff, Dhara emphasised that the signage problem needed urgent attention.

Airport director Pravat Ranjan Beuria acknowledged the issue, saying a committee has been established to improve passenger amenities, including signage based on traveller feedback. He also announced plans to expand baby care facilities from five to eight rooms, with all operations being handed over to a commercial agency through an ongoing tender process.

Washrooms cleaner

Metro has often highlighted the sorry state of washrooms, which would be dirty and wet.

The airport appears to have made significant progress on what was once its most criticised feature. Rakesh Rai, 65, travelling with his wife from Port Blair to Lucknow, noticed a dramatic improvement from his previous visit.

“When I came with my wife in November last year, I found the washrooms dirty. I would avoid using them whenever I was here,” said Rai.

“This time, however, the conditions have improved a lot. The airport also looks much cleaner. Now we can wait for an hour or evenmore for our connecting flight without discomfort. Until last year, I would dread spending time at Calcutta airport, scared I’d have to usethe washroom more than once.”

Beuria confirmed this represented part of a systematic renovation effort. “We have already renovated 48 out of 69 washrooms in phases, and the work will be complete by November,” he said.

But it’s still work in progress and more needs to be done.

Traffic chaos persists

While terminal facilities have improved, the area outside the building continues to frustrate travellers. Anil Raj, who flies from Delhi to Calcuttamonthly on work, highlighted the ongoing congestionproblem.

“The facilities at the airport are better now, but the traffic chaos and congestion need to be resolved,” said Raj. “In Delhi or Mumbai, the scene in front of the terminal is much better. Normally, it takes me 10 to 15 minutes to get out of the airport after getting in a vehicle, but during rush hours it stretches to almost an hour.”

Despite this criticism, Raj acknowledged broader improvements. “I travel frequently, and I must say the airport is better now. A lot of refurbishment has beendone, and the interiorslook much better maintained than before. The check-in has also become smoother,” he said.

To address traffic issues, Beuria said the airport is coordinating with the police and will provide seven licence plate-detecting cameras to be installed at arrival-level exit gates. These will help police penalise vehicles that overstay in pickup zones.

Progress made

The passenger feedback reveals an airport in transition. While systematic improvements in washroom facilities and terminal aestheticsare paying dividends, basic wayfinding and external traffic management remain problematic. The establishment of passenger feedback committees and technological solutions like licence plate detection cameras suggest airport authorities are taking a more structured approach to addressing these longstanding issues.

Whether these measures will finally resolve Calcutta airport’s most persistent passenger pain points remains to be seen.