Criticism
Airport Safety Issues
The AAI has faced some negative reception for consistently ignoring safety recommendations, especially at critical airports. A safety report from 2011 revealed that the Calicut Airport was unsafe during wet weather landings, but still continued to allow it, which led to scrutiny after the crash of Air India Express Flight 1344 in August 2020. The report came after the crash of Air India Express Flight 812 in May 2010 at Mangalore International Airport, which has a tabletop runway.
Infrastructure Quality
Nationwide, several airports have faced poor reviews due to bad infrastructure, dirty restrooms, poor hygiene, lack of proper transport in between terminals, baggage collection issues, long lines for immigration and security, and cab scam incidents, which the AAI has consistently failed to address despite complaints and criticism. A 2015 survey revealed that Chennai Airport has been rated Asia's worst airports for such reasons. The lack of proper planning and bureaucratic hurdles has been attributed for these issues, aside from older terminal buildings which have not been upgraded and refurbished or renovated with time.
To counter these issues, new greenfield airports with modern amenities are being built, which will relieve passenger capacity overloads, give higher quality amenities, and improve punctuality.
Overpriced Passenger Amenities
The AAI has been criticized for insufficient monitoring and regulation of passenger amenities and facilities such as food and beverages, that have been reportedly expensive. This has been notably rampant at privatized airports, which has led to frequent criticism by travelers and prominent figures. The high prices has been notably attributed to the high airport rentals, high revenue shares charged by private operators, cost of inventory, and employee salaries as only those with security clearances can be allowed to work. To solve this, the Government launched an affordable Udaan Yatri Cafe at various airports that provide meals and drinks at lower prices.
The AAI has also faced scrutiny over other passenger services, especially Wi-Fi service. As per officials of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, airport Wi-Fi service, which is constituted as public network, requires KYC (know your customer) details for security reasons, due to which Wi-Fi access mandates use of PIN through Indian phone numbers. The restricted access has been condemned by travelers due to inconvenience, mostly to international passengers either visiting or transiting, limited timeframe to use for only 45 minutes, and unstable network. Despite criticism and negative reviews posted by travelers on Skytrax and Tripadvisor, the TRAI and AAI have consistently refused to change the rules citing safety reasons, which have affected ratings of both domestic and international airports nationwide when compared to other nations.
