In a significant move to ease passenger woes, Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport has rolled out a proactive traffic advisory service on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle. The service is designed to alert flyers in real-time whenever road congestion or monsoon waterlogging threatens to disrupt their journey to the airport.
Monitoring Key Routes for Smoother Commutes
The initiative addresses a critical need, given that an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 passengers travel to the airport daily, with an additional 5,000 individuals visiting to receive arriving friends and relatives. To provide accurate alerts, the airport's dedicated IT team constantly monitors travel times from five major feeder points into the city: Ultadanga, Chingrighata crossing, Salt Lake Sector V, Barasat, and Howrah.
The system works by comparing the normal commute duration from these locations with the actual, live travel times. "Whenever Google Maps indicates an abnormality in the commute time, we will put out an alert on the NSCBI Airport X handle," explained an airport official. This trigger is activated when data suggests the journey will take 10–20% longer than usual, allowing passengers to either choose an alternative route or leave for the airport earlier.
Proactive Alerts During Monsoon and Festivals
The checks for traffic anomalies are conducted every five minutes on weekdays, with longer intervals on weekends when traffic volume is typically lower. The service is particularly vital during the monsoon season. "We realise the challenges passengers face while commuting to the airport. This becomes acute during the monsoon due to waterlogging during heavy rain," the official stated. This real-time information empowers travellers to make informed decisions for a smoother journey.
Beyond weather, the advisory also accounts for congestion from major events. It specifically considers disruptions during major political gatherings or the Durga Puja festival, when traffic on the crucial VIP Road is heavily affected by the crowd-pulling pandal at Sreebhumi.
Supplementing Advisories with Fog Alerts
This new traffic alert service complements the existing advisories from airlines, which already recommend planning for extra travel time during peak hours and bad weather. The airport also reiterated the standard advice for passengers to check their flight status online or via their airline's app for any potential delays.
In a related development, Kolkata airport has also commenced a fog alert system for passengers. These alerts are issued not only when poor visibility affects operations in Kolkata but also when fog in North India delays the departure of incoming flights from cities like Delhi and Amritsar. For all such updates, passengers are advised to confirm the latest information with their respective airlines before heading to the airport.
