Two aerobridges started functioning at the domestic terminal of Biju Patnaik International Airport on Wednesday. The Calcutta-Bhubaneswar-Mumbai IndiGo flight was the first carrier to use the facility.Aerobridges are extendable tunnel-like structures that serve as a skywalk between the terminal building and the aircraft. Operators with instructions from the air traffic control tower at the airport will position the aerobridges according to the requirement of the flights at the time of arrival and departure. The Rs 3.5-crore worth aerobridges have been supplied by an Indonesian firm called PT Bukaka Teknik Utama. The airport authorities received the consignment in May and started using it following a nod from the directorate general of civil aviation. Frequent flier Debashish Mohapatra from Ganganagar said: “The commissioning of the aerobridges is an important development for the new domestic terminal as it will provide comfort to the passengers ensuring hassle-free arrival and departure irrespective of the weather.” The domestic terminal has a provision for three aerobridges. Airport director Sharad Kumar said: “At present, a few select flights will be able to use the facility. However, small aircraft like the one operating on the Delhi-Bhubaneswar-Port Blair route will not be able to use it as its height is low.
Courtesy: Telegraph