JOIN USHow Bengaluru airport staff are coping with Covid-19 challenges
Work from home may have fallen into the lap of many but for those who need to be on the ground, like airport employees, these are days rife with risks.
While Covid-19 has grounded the travel habits of people, Saptarshi Mukherjee, senior manager-terminal operations at Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL), and his team are facing the day-to-day challenges with confidence.
They have adapted to the new situation brought in by the pandemic quickly to ensure a turbulence-free passage for travellers.
“I was out of action for two months following an injury but resumed work on March 15 when the pandemic was still presumably, in the infancy stage in India. I was raring to get back into action,” recollects Saptarshi.
Aviation has always been something very close to his heart. As part of BIAL’s core group at Bengaluru Airport, he couldn’t have asked for a more challenging assignment.
The group, consisting of representatives from all departments of BIAL, is the key in terms of assessing scenarios, developing new process and implementation towards resumption of operations.
The way forward as the pandemic spread was not easy.
“To say that the way forward was evolving would be a gross understatement as what was a guideline a few days would get amended with a new directive by the Central and State governing bodies keeping in mind the changing momentum,” recollects Saptarshi.
“However, the key to keep the virus away is to take precautions and at no point be indifferent about the probable risks. Shaking hands with friends or colleagues, touching surfaces, often touching face or hair or even hugging our kids are consciously avoided,” he says
He and his team are at the forefront of handling operations. At the Passenger Terminal Building, they divide the risk profile of individual allocations and distribute Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) accordingly.
“Wearing masks, gloves and face shields is the new normal,” he says.
However, if they need to handle a risk-prone flight, (from high-prevalence zones) they had to wear full-body PPE, throughout the arrival process of such a flight.
“New processes were constantly reiterated to the team to ensure safety norms weren’t compromised while operations remained seamless. Our team’s involvement is at an all-time high,” he says adding, “we are the frontline and the team who had to take the brave step forward to make things as safe and simple for our passengers.”
The team has to assure passengers that they had indeed chosen the safest mode of travel.
Saptarshi’s job requires him to have the best relations with CISF, Customs, Immigrations and other organisations such as airlines, ground handlers, F&B and retail companies.
Describing the nature of his job, he says, “terminal operations is the lifeline of the entire airport. Along with the Apron and AOCC teams, we run the entire operations of the airport.”
He has to ensure that his team (largest department in BIAL) needs to be really hands-on, monitoring and ensuring that set procedures are being followed and highlighting discrepancies and taking corrective actions.
“Handlings budgets, looking at cost-cutting, revenue generation initiatives are also an important part of my job while exigencies, emergencies prod me to take centrestage and handle situations to the best of my abilities,” he adds.
Even in these times, he and his team are highly motivated and feel passengers have a huge role to play in it.
“The appreciation that we receive from passengers and internal partners motivate us to do even better and reach out to anyone looking for assistance via phone, email or in-person,” he says
Needless to say, Covid-19 has changed passenger behaviour in ways one never fathomed.
“In the recent past and even currently, passengers who are in dire need to move to the next destination, are the only ones travelling. The new norms of technology advancement (touchless, contactless), safe distancing and hygiene practices have been embraced whole-heartedly by passengers, making our job easier,” he says. Saptarshi points out that while he and his team are indebted to their regular flyers for this smooth transition, they had their hands full in explaining and guiding first- time flyers who need assistance at every step.
“We believe that this change is here to stay,” he says.
However, he looks at the future of air travel with hope, although things don’t look hunky-dory now.
“I believe that air travel will never be the same again,” he says.
“People will hesitate to go on leisure travel which accounts for 25-30% of the passenger traffic and would want to explore more of their neighbouring destinations and travel within the country. So, initially we may see a downward curve.”
However, he adds,“with the festive season a couple of months away and the confidence that air travel is the safest mode of transport, I am sure that it won’t be long before our airport will be buzzing with traffic all over again.”