Lack of food outlets at int’l airport compels flyers to go hungry

The Visakhapatnam international airport which has seen a considerable rise in its passenger travel seems to be lacking facilities such as standard restaurants or branded retail outlets like the other international airports. 

There is only one restaurant on the ground floor before the immigration counter and a few snack bars at different locations of the airport.

K Prakash, a businessman from Visakhapatnam who recently went to Singapore shared his experience on the lack of food availability in the international departure area of the airport. “It was for the first time that I took an international flight from the city airport. It was a late night flight and I had no idea on the lack of availability of food at the international departure area. Else, I would have purchased dinner from some other restaurant or from the eatery at the airport before the immigration. There was no way that I could get food for my family. We had to manage the day’s dinner with a few packed snacks,” he said.

Another frequent flyer from the city, K Mohan who was travelling to Cambodia along with his team on Wednesday night, said, “We were aware that there is no food available at the international departure area of the airport. Once the immigration is done, there is no way that we can get access to the only restaurant at the airport located on the ground floor. We packed ten boxes of dinner from a restaurant and carried it along with us.”

Airport director, G Prakash Reddy said “There is only one restaurant which serves food for both the domestic and international passengers. We have around three snack bars at the airport which serve tea and coffee along with a few snacks. An exclusive restaurant at the international departure area has not yet been opened as there are only one or two international flights per day.”

Adding that standard facilities for availability of food is required at the airport, Prakash Reddy, added, “Under the master concessionaire project, Airport Authority of India (AAI), New Delhi, has called for tenders for setting up of food and retail outlets at the Visakhapatnam airport. With the building expansion going on, space will not be a constraint for setting up of standard food stalls. where passengers can relax and have food.”

Source:- https://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/food-entertainment/food-services/lack-of-food-outlets-at-intl-airport-compels-flyers-to-go-hungry/70498439