KOLKATA: Bitten and bothered by mosquitoes inside the terminal, tarmac, airport bus, and even on flights, at Kolkata airport , passengers have been flooding the airport’s complaint/suggestion register and social media, voicing there anger over the past few months.“It is difficult to wear slippers and three quarters while waiting after the security check as the area is infested with mosquitoes. Even the flights these days are swarming with the insects,” said Arkaprava Bhar, a frequent flyer.Bhar said he has seen mosquitoes breeding in low lying areas around the runway near the old terminal. “I have complained to the flight crew on a number of occasions regarding the problem, but they say they are helpless as mosquitoes enter when the doors are opened for passengers,” said Soumitra Banerjee, another flyer who now carries mosquito repellent in his hand baggage.Airlines officials said they have tried a number of measures, including lowering the temperature inside the flights, using battery-powered mosquito swatters and spraying World Health Organisation-approved insecticides, but they have had little effect. Airlines Operators Committee chairman Sarvesh Gupta admitted that mosquitoes were a major menace, particularly in aircraft parked in remote bays where passengers take the bus before boarding.“The situation is quite bad. We are trying to address the problem by spraying repellent inside the cabin. But when it is a hopping flight and some passengers are already seated in the aircraft, it is difficult to do so,” said Gupta.While aerobridges keep the insects at bay, flights parked in remote bays face the most problem as swarms of mosquitoes make their way into the cabin through the doors when passengers get in. “The problem is acute early in the morning and evening when mosquito activity increases,” said a veteran captain of Air India Airlines officials suggest specially designed step ladders with air curtains at the entrance to the aircraft to keep mosquitoes out. They also want the water in drains in the apron to be regularly flushed out and the vegetation cropped to prevent them from turning into mosquito-breeding grounds. “Regular fumigation should be carried out when planes are parked in remote bays,” an airline station manager said.A senior official at the airport said the the entire belt, including Rajarhat , New Town and Salt Lake, face the problem.“We regularly spray insecticides in the open areas, but the airlines, too, need to ensure that the flights are free of mosquitoes,” he added.

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