Lalwani flags chaos at Indore airport, aviation minister orders review:Member of Parliament raises delays and passenger issues; Airport Authority directors to inspect facilities

With passenger pressure mounting and complaints becoming routine, Indore MP Shankar Lalwani on Thursday took up the issue of worsening facilities at Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport with Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu in New Delhi. Senior aviation officials were present during the meeting. Crowded parking, long queues and delays Lalwani told the minister that congestion has become a daily ordeal for passengers, beginning with overcrowded parking areas and extending to terminal entry points. Morning hours are particularly chaotic due to overlapping flight schedules, resulting in long queues even before security checks. Security screening delays were also flagged, with passengers often forced to stand in lines for prolonged periods. Lalwani said the problem intensifies when multiple flights arrive together, exposing the shortage of seating in waiting areas. Elderly passengers, women and children are among those worst affected. Runway work disrupts flights, space misuse questioned The MP raised concerns over night-time runway carpeting work, saying it has repeatedly affected flight operations and triggered delays. He also questioned the shrinking of operational areas due to the creation of office spaces within an already constrained airport campus, while essential passenger amenities remain inadequate. Minister orders AAI review Taking serious note of the issues, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu directed the Airports Authority of India to send its operations director and planning director to Indore next week for an on-ground assessment. The officials will review facilities with the local administration and public representatives and submit a detailed report to the Centre. Lalwani said the minister assured that the findings would lead to concrete, long-term measures to ease congestion and improve passenger facilities, warning that piecemeal fixes will no longer suffice as Indore’s air traffic continues to rise.