Recurring Traffic Delays: Passengers Urge Regulation of Political Welcome Gatherings at Coimbatore Airport

Coimbatore: Passengers at the Coimbatore International Airport have voiced growing concern over the recurring congestion caused during the arrival of politicians and other VIPs, stating that the situation has become a persistent inconvenience for regular travellers.

According to passengers, hundreds of supporters and party cadres gather at the airport to receive political leaders, resulting in heavy crowding and obstructing the free movement of passengers entering and exiting the premises.

Travellers further alleged that vehicles are frequently parked in a disorderly manner during such visits, leading to avoidable delays and widespread inconvenience. Senior citizens, children, and differently-abled passengers are said to bear the brunt of the disruption.

Despite the availability of parking facilities for nearly 600 vehicles within the airport campus, passengers claimed that indiscriminate parking during VIP arrivals continues to choke both entry and exit points, aggravating congestion across the premises.

Passengers also pointed out that Coimbatore Airport is already grappling with space constraints, and the situation worsens considerably whenever political dignitaries arrive. Although three traffic lanes have been designated near the entrance, supporters and cadres allegedly occupy the area by parking vehicles haphazardly, triggering prolonged traffic snarls.

On Thursday between 11.30 am and 11.50 am, three flights arriving from Chennai, Mumbai, and Hyderabad landed in quick succession. At the same time, more than 300 passengers were exiting the airport when vehicles belonging to supporters gathered to welcome a political leader allegedly crowded the entrance zone, resulting in severe congestion.

Passengers said many travellers were left stranded for extended periods, while elderly passengers, children, and differently-abled persons faced considerable hardship amid the bottleneck and confusion.

Describing the issue as a recurring ordeal, passengers urged the airport authorities, city police, and district administration to jointly devise and implement a long-term solution without further delay.

Passengers further observed that while VIP visits — particularly those involving politicians and large gatherings of supporters — may be inevitable, authorities must adopt practical and enforceable measures to regulate vehicular movement within the airport premises. They also stressed the need to streamline and limit the number of people and vehicles permitted to receive VIPs, in order to minimise inconvenience to regular passengers and ensure smoother traffic management.