Special needs passengers get their own area at Delhi airport

Contact Zone, a first of its kind service at Indian Airports, has been established near Gate 1 of Terminal 2 (International) at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) for catering to passengers with special needs, like physically challenged passengers, and unaccompanied minors amongst others.

Currently, facilitation for passengers requiring special assistance is coordinated directly by the airline. However, security rules prevent those accompanying the passengers inside the terminal creating difficulty for the passengers. The ‘Contact Zone’ is aimed at bridging this gap by facilitating the coordination between the airlines and the traveller.

Two parking slots are reserved in the Contact Zone for passengers requiring Wheel Chair assistance, and the airport operator, DIAL's Customer Service Executives and porters have been deputed for coordination and facilitation.

While the passengers wait in the special area provided, the Executive posted at the Contact Zone will in turn contact the concerned airline for deputing their staff for help complete the departure formalities. DIAL has requested the airlines to depute staff to frequently visit the drop off area.

At present the 'Contact Zone' will cater only to international passengers, but it expected to be extended to the new domestic departure terminals, but a time frame has not been provided.

While not much to write home about, this is a step in the right direction. Indian aviation has a very poor track record when it comes to catering to the special needs passenger.