CSMIA: Seven Years of T2's Transformational Growth and Development at the Airport
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) commemorates seven fruitful years of operations of Terminal 2 on Feb. 12. Since its inception in 2014, the terminal has aided in the holistic development of the airport and further enhanced its growth through its exemplary architecture, advanced technological developments and various exceptional initiatives to create a benchmark for passenger experience in the aviation industry. Passenger experience at the airport has been of utmost importance and thus, CSMIA has been setting new standards in the aviation industry through its Terminal 2. The airport has enhanced its terminal experience over the years where it has introduced various initiatives to cut down wait time at the airport and let passengers make the most of their dwell time at the terminal.
In the past seven years, the airport has witnessed an inclined trajectory in passenger traffic where CSMIA from the inception of its terminal has witnessed a total of approximately over 2.6 billion passengers. The terminal catered to an approximate 36.6 million passengers in its first year of operations, i.e. FY14-15, as compared to FY19-20 where it catered to over 45.9 million passengers observing a growth of 25 percent. CSMIA has maintained steady growth in its passenger traffic; even during the pandemic outbreak, CSMIA’s T2 remained operational, catering to a total of over 5.9 million passengers (May-December) in 2020. With the resumption of domestic flight operations in May; the terminal has already obtained 50 percent of its pre-COVID-19 domestic levels and expects to bridge the gap by 2022-23. The Runway Occupancy Time (ROT) has reduced significantly to an average of 52 seconds in FY19-20. Furthermore, the airport observed a growth in its ATMs from 269,456 in FY14-15 to 304,675 ATMs in FY19-20.
CSMIA has also witnessed a rise in routes through the terminal from when it used to provide 87 destinations in 2014. In the wake of the pandemic, the airport will continue to focus on connectivity by adding new domestic and international destinations by engaging with existing and new airline partners.
With the vision to become one of the world’s best airports, CSMIA has been working towards elevating its facilities and services to create a seamless passenger journey at the airport. The airport’s T2 has become a major gateway offering exceptional infrastructure facilities aiding in introduction of pioneering services and advanced technology. The airport bought in various firsts such as the introduction of the fully-automated check-in process generating boarding pass and baggage tag through Common Use Self Service (CUSS) kiosks along with extended check-in facility located at host of five-star hotels in the city, Self-Baggage Drop Counters, personalized meet and greet services through Pranaam that attends to all the needs at the airport, ensuring smooth and stress-free travel, amongst others over the years. This transformative journey has seen the conversion of passenger experience from functional to seamless and self-reliant. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the airport has worked diligently towards creating a contactless experience in promotion of health and safety at the airport. Some of the developments undertaken by the airport at T2 in this regard include the introduction of a QR-code based technology that enables passengers to scan the code and remote control the kiosk from their phone to complete their check in process, thereby creating a contactless check-in experience.
CSMIA has also extended its theme of uniqueness into the retail and F&B services made available to its passengers. Since the beginning, CSMIA has introduced various outlets and experiences that were first of its kind either in the city of Mumbai, first in India or first at an airport. The airport has ensured a seamless integration of outlets into the overall design of the airport to maintain its relaxing aesthetic ambience for the passengers and enable the passengers to browse at leisure on the journey between the entry to exit. The airport has brought in several world-renowned brands, runs innumerable campaigns, and introduced advanced technology, such as a first-of-its-kind order ahead food technology, for the enjoyment of its passengers.
CSMIA's iconic Terminal 2 is India's first and most advanced vertical passenger terminal that integrates world-class design, architecture, infrastructure, and operational efficiency, with a rich infusion of Indian heritage and cultural character. Over the last seven years, T2 has been conferred with numerous coveted awards and accolades for outstanding achievements in operations, efficiency, sustainability and services. CSMIA has also continued to maintain the magnificent infrastructure offering a seamless facilitation in transit for its passengers; the airport has promulgated the safety and wellbeing of the passengers, visitors and personnel through its various astute thought, conscientious planning and meticulous strategy.
Right from the start, CSMIA’s T2 set an international benchmark in terms of infrastructure for being the first to house a museum within its walls. Home to India’s largest public art initiative, T2 has been at the forefront in encapsulating the glory of states though the festivals celebrating history, tribal history & religion, textile & crafts, food & festivals, travel & tourism, amongst others, under the aegis of the Jaya He Museum. Passengers at T2 could avail the Jaya He safari to be regaled with tales of the Indian heritage to entertain themselves during their transit. Over the years, CSMIA has diligently maintained the upkeep of over thousands of artefacts encompassing this cultural display and has worked towards enhancing its musuem offerings for the enjoyment of the customers. Through festivals conducted in T2, the museum has offered insights into the states of Maharashtra (Paaoolkhuna - Imprints of Maharashtra) and the eight North East States (Utsara 2020) garnering incremental footfalls, honors and accolades from all. The latest amongst these developmental initiatives is the launch of the Jaya He app, available on all play stores; the app offers a guided audio-visual tour of the artefacts at T2 that can be enjoyed from the comfort of one’s home.
Furthermore, CSMIA is the first airport in the country to launch a luxury hotel located within the terminal building for its passengers. The Niranta Airport Transit Hotel & Lounge truly embodies serenity and hospitality and helps passengers rejuvenate between flights. Offering 24-hour check-in/check-out facility, the hotel has world-class facilities, especially construed for the discerning traveler transiting via the terminal. The airport has also made waves in the aviation industry with its lounge offerings. CSMIA’s T2 is the first to launch a common lounge, the GVK Lounge, for First Class and Business Class passengers across all airlines. Going a step ahead, CSMIA was also the first to launch a lounge at the arrival hall of the airport; the unique Aviserv lounge is available for passengers to spend a few hours in Mumbai without booking a room as well as for visitors who have come to collect their loved ones from the airport.
CSMIA is keeping alive India’s tradition whilst building bonds, creating travel memories and sharing equal opportunities among people from all walks of life, while continuing to be the best in its domain. A strong believer of a better tomorrow, CSMIA continues to offer world-class services and facilities to its passengers and through its evolution in services, functionality and operations will continue to personalize the journey of the travellers, translating their travel to and from CSMIA Terminal 2 as the most desirable and enriching experience.
