Airports to Now Make Public Announcements in Local Languages Followed by Hindi, English

The latest move follows a directive from Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu.

New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday directed all airports to make public announcements in local language first, followed by Hindi and English, officials said. The latest move follows a directive from Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu.

Officials said that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has issued a directive to all aerodromes under its control to start making public announcements in the local language in addition to Hindi and English. The Civil Aviation Ministry has also sent out a communication to private airport operators regarding public announcements to be made in the local language.

Minister Prabhu directed the AAI to take steps to make that all announcements on public address system at all the airports in the country should be in local language followed by Hindi and English, officials said. The directions would not be applicable to silent airports where public announcements are not made, they added.

In 2016, the AAI had issued a circular asking airports under its control to make public announcements in the local language followed by Hindi and English. The minister’s decision came after representations from certain quarters that public announcements at airports should also be made in the local language, they added. There are more than 100 operational airports in the country.

Meanwhile, passengers coming from abroad can now give their feedback on these questions at an electronic kiosk inaugurated Wednesday at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi. The kiosk at the international arrival hall of the airport has been set up to gather feedback from passengers on ease of customs clearance.

After inaugurating the e-kiosk, chairman of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) S Ramesh said that Customs has been keeping pace with international best practices in respect of passenger as well as cargo facilitation.

“Technology is being used in all aspects of customs functioning to reduce dwell times and to engage constructively with stakeholders,” he said. Ramesh said similar feedback mechanisms would be implemented at other international airports in metropolitan cities of the country as well.

“This (e-kiosk) is representative of our constant endeavours to further the ease of doing business and to conscientiously seek stakeholders’ inputs in order to serve them better,” said SK Sawhney, Principal Chief Commissioner of Delhi customs.