Kolkata: Multiple passengers travelling with different airlines have been complaining of damaged luggage upon arrival at the Kolkata airport of late, prompting the airport authorities to include the issue among the list of agendas during a meeting with airline representatives later this month.
“Several flyers have been complaining about damaged luggage.The airport doesn’t have much role when it comes to handling of luggage as it is entirely done by the airline. However, since flyers are raising complaints upon receiving the bags at the Kolkata airport, we will take up the issue with the airlines during our monthly meeting with their representatives later this month,” said a senior airport official.
“We will ask them to be more careful while handling the bags and increase checks on employees who have been handling them at different transit points,” the official added.
According to airport officials, the number of complaints has increased during the festive period when the airport handled a record number of passengers.
Supratim Chowdhury, a flyer, had complained on X on December 27 about a damaged luggage and that he was still awaiting compensation from IndiGo. “While travelling from Srinagar to Kolkata in @IndiGo6E on 24th Dec, we received our luggage damaged, and the Kolkata airport @indigo staff agreed to the compensation. But till now we haven’t got any mail for the same. Kindly intervene,” Chowdhury posted.
Another flyer, Rajarshi Sen, also posted a photograph on X of a cracked suitcase and demanded compensation from IndiGo following his journey to Kolkata from Mumbai on Christmas. “Carlton bag cracked when delivered in Kolkata airport while coming from Mumbai to Kolkata on 25th Dec ’23. Thanks for the pathetic service that you have given to me and the holiday that I have just started. I am informed that they can offer me an American Tourister bag (half price),” he posted while adding that he had raised the issue at the airport itself immediately after receiving the bag at the conveyor belt.
Another Salt Lake resident TOI spoke to said the wheels of his trolley bag were found damaged when he received them at the Kolkata airport while returning from Bengaluru. “The airport staff had asked me to raise a complaint and had promised me Rs 2000 as compensation but almost two weeks have passed and I haven’t received any communication,” the flier said.
After check-in, the suitcase goes to the sorting office where staff sort them, screen them and if everything is found clean, they are readied for transfer to the right plane. Ramp agents load the luggage onto carts and load them in the plane belly. After landing, the luggage is unloaded in a cart and transported to the terminal where they are dropped onto the baggage reclaim conveyor belts.
Airline officials didn’t issue any statement despite TOI approaching them but sources said they had started an internal check to find out the origin of the complaints.
“Several flyers have been complaining about damaged luggage.The airport doesn’t have much role when it comes to handling of luggage as it is entirely done by the airline. However, since flyers are raising complaints upon receiving the bags at the Kolkata airport, we will take up the issue with the airlines during our monthly meeting with their representatives later this month,” said a senior airport official.
“We will ask them to be more careful while handling the bags and increase checks on employees who have been handling them at different transit points,” the official added.
According to airport officials, the number of complaints has increased during the festive period when the airport handled a record number of passengers.
Supratim Chowdhury, a flyer, had complained on X on December 27 about a damaged luggage and that he was still awaiting compensation from IndiGo. “While travelling from Srinagar to Kolkata in @IndiGo6E on 24th Dec, we received our luggage damaged, and the Kolkata airport @indigo staff agreed to the compensation. But till now we haven’t got any mail for the same. Kindly intervene,” Chowdhury posted.
Another flyer, Rajarshi Sen, also posted a photograph on X of a cracked suitcase and demanded compensation from IndiGo following his journey to Kolkata from Mumbai on Christmas. “Carlton bag cracked when delivered in Kolkata airport while coming from Mumbai to Kolkata on 25th Dec ’23. Thanks for the pathetic service that you have given to me and the holiday that I have just started. I am informed that they can offer me an American Tourister bag (half price),” he posted while adding that he had raised the issue at the airport itself immediately after receiving the bag at the conveyor belt.
Another Salt Lake resident TOI spoke to said the wheels of his trolley bag were found damaged when he received them at the Kolkata airport while returning from Bengaluru. “The airport staff had asked me to raise a complaint and had promised me Rs 2000 as compensation but almost two weeks have passed and I haven’t received any communication,” the flier said.
After check-in, the suitcase goes to the sorting office where staff sort them, screen them and if everything is found clean, they are readied for transfer to the right plane. Ramp agents load the luggage onto carts and load them in the plane belly. After landing, the luggage is unloaded in a cart and transported to the terminal where they are dropped onto the baggage reclaim conveyor belts.
Airline officials didn’t issue any statement despite TOI approaching them but sources said they had started an internal check to find out the origin of the complaints.