Sri Vijaya Puram, Oct. 13: A delegation of the Andaman Association of Tour Operators (AATO), led by Shri M. Vinod, President AATO today met the Airport Director of Veer Savarkar International Airport (VSI), Sri Vijaya Puram. The delegation comprised of Shri Naveed, Shri Saikat, and Shri Abdul Rafiq along with the President.
The AATO team raised concerns regarding the parking and drop-off arrangements for tourist vehicles, highlighting that:
Tempo travellers and larger vehicles were not permitted to access the designated drop-off lane, forcing tourists to walk long distances with luggage, children, and senior citizens.
Drivers were facing double charging — once for parking and again for entry/exit.
Vehicles coming solely to drop off passengers were being charged despite not using parking facilities.
The delegation requested that:
1. Vehicles solely dropping off passengers should not be charged any fee.
2. Vehicles already paying for parking should not be charged again for exit.
3. Larger vehicles should be permitted to use the drop-off lane for safe and convenient passenger movement.
The Airport Director responded positively and issued immediate instructions to implement these measures and he has also agreed to allow Tempo Traveller and winger to Drop passengers from passenger lane instead of Parking Place from tomorrow in one by one vehicle at a time
Shri M. Vinod, President, AATO has also urged to all stakeholders to follow the single line system to avoid inconvenience to the tourists. The President, AATO welcomed this swift action and expressed gratitude to the Airport Director for resolving the issue in the interest of both tourism and passenger convenience.