CHENNAI: Thousands of flight travellers from Chennai everyday, are sore over one major problem in the airport for more than three months now: its nearly non-functional air-conditioners.Passengers, commercial set ups and airport managers have brought the issue to the attention of the concerned authorities but little has been done so far. While table fans adorn the departure terminals both in the domestic and international wings, other airport offices continue to suffer. “The construction of this terminal is in such a manner that the air-conditioner ducts are not in the right place. Hence, even a light rise in temperature sets everyone perspiring” an airport official said. Moreover, owing to the central air-conditioning system, there is little that airline staff sitting in these offices can do. “When we complained, we were told that six of the 12 compressors were not working but that the problem would be rectified soon. The air-conditioning unit, we are told, keeps tripping. It has been months now without any solution in sight. And when we requested for fans, we were told that there were no spares, as all the hired fans had been put across the terminals,” an airport official said.The problem, according to airport authorities, emerged because of the ongoing construction work of new terminals. But airport managers disagree. “The AC unit is old and unable to handle the soaring heat outside. In this case, arrangements should be made to install new systems at the earliest, as many critical works are taking place inside the airport,” an officer stated.Inbound and outbound passengers are also feeling the heat. “It is so hot inside the terminal. I was taking an evening flight at 5pm with my wife and kid, and we were exhausted within fifteen minutes of entering the terminal. Fans are no good for these high temperatures,” Abhishek, an entrepreneur said.The issue is compounded during peak hours for flights — early morning and evening. There are at least 2,500 flight-bound people in the evening in an area that has seating for only 250 people. This makes it more important to have an effective cooling system. When asked about it, VP Agarwal, chairman of the Airport Authority of India, who was in Chennai on a stocktaking trip recently, admitted that the problem has been there for a long time now. “I know that the air-conditioning is faulty and I have also questioned our employees regarding the same. The situation will be taken care of very soon,” he said.
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