Ahmedabad: The domestic terminal at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad expanded its arrivals exit area by adding three traffic movement lanes, bringing the total to nine. The move aimed to ease persistent congestion during passenger pick-ups at Terminal 1 (T1).Airport sources said the reconfiguration was carried out at the T1 Arrivals forecourt to streamline vehicular flow. Of the three additional lanes, one was added within the parking circulation area, and two were added to better manage cabs and private vehicles.“In fact, one lane is dedicated to cabs alone. The segregation is expected to reduce criss-cross movement and improve kerbside discipline during peak hours. The airport handles around 14,000 cars moving in and out every day across both terminals. Nearly 60% of this traffic is concentrated at the domestic terminal, with the remaining 40% at the international terminal,” said a source. According to officials, the higher domestic traffic volume placed pressure on the existing six-lane configuration, particularly during peak hours and holiday rush periods.Frequent flyers and city residents often flagged delays and chaotic pickup conditions at the domestic arrivals area, where vehicles often queue up and spill onto the approach road. The additional lanes are expected to allow longer, more orderly queues, preventing bottlenecks and reducing wait times for passengers.Sneha Bagrecha, an entrepreneur and frequent flyer, said, “The arrivals area is usually chaotic. Even if a cab is within the airport campus, it can take 10 minutes to reach because of congestion. I hope the additional lanes ease the situation.”Some other passengers, however, continue to flag the issue of auto-rickshaw lanes being too far away. Gauri Wagenaar, a visiting faculty member, said, “Since cabs from the airport are often expensive, many passengers prefer autorickshaws. However, reaching the auto stand involves a long walk from the terminal exit, which can be inconvenient, especially with luggage.”The changes are part of ongoing infrastructure upgrades in response to rising passenger throughput and increased reliance on private cars and app-based taxis for airport transfers. Authorities will monitor traffic patterns in the coming weeks to assess the impact of the revised lane configuration and make further adjustments if required.
