Airports & Contrasts

I am in transit in Singapore, an airport I haven't been to in quite some time. Of all the airports I have been to over the years I've always had a soft spot for Changi airport, which is probably also the first overseas airport I ever went to. This visit only served to confirm the airport's standing as far as I am concerned; this is so obviously an airport that tries - and succeeds - to be not only different but also better than other airports. How many airports can you think of where you actually want to spend some time and are disappointed when your transit time is too short? The contrast between Singapore Changi, and Paris' CDG airport is stark and you have to wonder why airport designers don't seem to learn from the mistakes of others. Or perhaps that's the role of CDG - to be an airport whose mistakes the others learn from.

Sad times when you need Wi-Fi for your excitement

Delhi's new airport is a far cry from the airport I first saw here many years ago. Then it was a typical dirty, tired and sad place; built in a hurry with good intentions but without much skill and in common with so many airports in Asia and Africa at the time (and in some cases still) maintenance was almost non existent. Now it's a modern place but if you look a little closer it still has obvious local characteristics, which is not necessarily a good thing.

The queues are more like free-for-alls. There are many instances of where for some reason it's been decided that the original layout might not be ideal, but rather than actually modify or update it, "temporary" barriers or signs are put up (often hand-written and with innovative spelling). Arriving from the plane, and before descending to the immigration section, there's a pole with a hand-written sign informing passengers from certain countries to go through a hastily set-up medical control section. This appears to be completely un-manned, and it's completely ignored by all the arriving passengers.Signs showing which queue to join at immigration are ignored and those familiar with the system are obviously taking shortcuts.

Everything you need to travel in India

Uniformed officers all over the place perpetuating the bureaucracy inherent in almost every interaction. Systems are set up and then bypassed with hand-written signs. Passengers going from International arrivals to Domestic departures (like me) are led to a corridor where papers are checked (although there's nothing to indicate what or why) and then find themselves in an area with a single elevator, which is completely inadequate for the task of moving the crowds waiting for it, resulting in the expected melee and free for all.

The toilets smell and there are broken taps. There are some sponges placed underneath the leaking taps, neatly "solving" the problem or the leak. The lights dim when the hand drier starts (it is, in fact, impressive that it starts). The water from tap slows to trickle when a toilet flushes. Someone with a cartridge of silicone has been making "repairs" where the tiles are loose or the grouting has come away; this has not been done with much skill or care.

The Jet Airways flight from Delhi to Dehradun is an interesting example of flying for a short distance. We spend a good 40 minutes driving around airport before finally getting to the runway for departure. The actual flying time is around 30 minutes, followed by 10 minutes holding to wait for the (single, small) runway to be cleared before a too-fast landing and really heavy braking to stay on the short runway. Without even counting the check-in and boarding and waiting times, we've spent more time driving the plane than flying it. 

A couple of soldiers are standing lonely on and around the taxiway, presumably guarding it from imminent attack - more likely it's a job to keep them occupied, since this is also a military airfield I think. Walking from the plane to the terminal building we have to wait for the Air India plane which has landed behind us and is now taxiing between us and the terminal. Planes have right of way over pedestrians.

Arriving in Dehradun - your driver is waiting

A mass (or  gaggle or herd - whatever the appropriate collective noun is) of drivers is waiting outside, each holding their hand-written sign for their passenger. Their fleet of little Tata and Maruti Suzuki cars are at the ready. 

Welcome to Dehardun!