Calcutta airport has done away with compulsory web check-in.

Following this, the long queues at the entry gates of the terminal building have shifted to the check-in counters.

“The bureau of civil aviation security (BCAS) recently informed the airports and airlines that web check-in, although preferable, is not mandatory anymore...,” Kaushik Bhattacharya, director of Calcutta airport, said on Friday. But for the manual check-in, a passenger has to pay Rs 100 as a processing fee.

Several airports had requested the civil aviation ministry to ease the safety norms for entering the terminals. After that, the BCAS issued the new advisory.

When passenger flight operations resumed in late May after the lockdown, the civil aviation ministry had made web check-in mandatory.

Metro had earlier reported about that the long queues at the entry gates of the departure section of the airport’s terminal were leading to passengers reporting late at the boarding gates and delay of flights.

The problem, according to the airlines, occurred because many first-time fliers would come to the airport without web check-in and many of them did not have smartphones. The airlines later started redirecting these passengers to their ticket booking counters at Gate 3C, which led to congestion at the counters.

“Now, the congestion has reduced significantly both at the entry gates and the airline booking counters,” said an official of a private airline. But there are long queues at the check-in counters, especially on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, when flights to and from Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Pune and Nagpur are allowed to operate. The state government lifted the restrictions on Delhi flights last week.

An official of a private airline said apart from the time taken for check-in, there was also the problem of some passengers raising questions about airlines charging Rs 100 extra for
the manual check-in.

“Many passengers are asking why they have to pay extra,” said the official.

The restrictions on allowing only one piece of registered luggage has also been eased, said airline officials. For every additional piece of check-in baggage, airlines are charging Rs 700. “But this process is taking a long time,” said an airline official.

Airport director Bhattacharya said because of the new problem, they have opened the check-in island, which was closed till a few weeks back, for installation the inline baggage-screening system.

Of the four check-in islands, one termed ‘A’ was closed for months. “The US agency has told us that their officials would come for inspection in January. So, we are allowing manual screening of baggage for this island,” said Bhattacharya.

Security check-in counters are now another point where congestions are taking place, said airline officials.

Recently, automatic tray retrieval system has been introduced where the trays for screening of hand baggage are mechanically retrieved. “...At times the system is malfunctioning,” said an airline official.

Airport officials said they were trying to resolve the issue.