Despite the upgrade for handling so many domestic operators Bagdogra needs better facilities than the current ones.

I have just returned to Delhi a few hours back by flight No. IC 879 which departed from Bagdogra Airport at around 16 hrs. I had an very pleasant trip with my family, except for ONE horrible experience faced by us and few other passengers from the security personals posted for carrying out security checks before boarding the flight. The brief facts are as under:-

After announcement of time to proceed for 'Security Checking' every passenger walking in for getting his or her hand baggage and personal search is asked by the security personal manning the X-Ray machine to leave his/her hand baggage and all the personal belongings in possession on the X-Ray Belt and proceed for getting his personal search to be carried out by another security personal by passing through the metal detector gate and hand machine. The two places are quite apart and separated in such a way that you cannot keep an eye on your baggage/belongings which was left on the X-Ray Belt. After I was cleared from the personal search, I proceeded to collect my hand baggage which was left on the X-Ray belt, but to my surprise I found the security personal had unpacked my half the bag and the belongings lying spread on the observation table. We were questioned flimsy questions as to what are the contents inside the bag, especially a 200 ml plastic bottle containing drinking water (served in aircraft), which was really absurd. The security personal again took the half emptied bag along with the unpacked goods back to the other end of the machine where the bag was kept initially (the place where the passenger will not be permitted to go after cleared from personal search) for getting it re-x-rayed. They will create such an chaotic situation before clearing your baggage, that you are just left with the option to pack the goods hurriedly, as the crowd of passengers is standing around you. After we reached home and unpacked the contents of the bag, my expensive jacket which was kept on the top in the bag has gone missing. My point of view is, that it is highly objectionable for the security personals opening the bags on their own and in the absence of the owner. It is here, that the opening was done to rob the contents and the unpacking of goods and simultaneous questioning to confuse the passenger in order to not let him know what has gone wrong. In another similar type of case, which was noticed by a lady passenger, all his cash was robbed from her purse, as the lady was asked to proceed for personal search after leaving her purse on the X-Ray machine. My appeal to all the fellow passengers to be careful of this and to also take up this matter with the appropriate authorities. If any reader, is aware of the address/phone of the concerned official where this matter can be taken up please let me know. You are also aware that everybody cannot spare time or find the proper forum to make such complains and the issues goes unnoticed.

A good decent airport much better than Kolkatta domestic airport. Very nice and affordable restaurant, pleasant to relax and order good food.