The UDAN Yatri Cafe, the country's first affordable food outlet at an airport, has struck a chord with passengers by offering beverages and snacks at surprisingly low prices - tea for Rs 10 and samosas for Rs 20. With a daily footfall of around 900 in its first month, this venture is redefining the airport dining experience. Spearheaded by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Airports Authority of India, this cafe is a welcome relief for travellers tired of exorbitant airport food prices. "The footfall at the cafe has been around 900 per day and is growing," an Airports Authority of India (AAI) spokesperson here told PTI. This means that the cafe, located in the departure area of the city's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport, has served around 27,000 passengers in one month.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, who inaugurated the cafe during the centenary celebration of the Kolkata airport on December 21 last year, is impressed by the response the eatery is getting from passengers. "Since the day I took oath as Civil Aviation Minister, my mission has been to make air travel more affordable and accessible for every Indian. The UDAN Yatri Cafe at Kolkata Airport, India's first affordable food outlet at an airport, is a significant step in that direction," Naidu said in a post on X. "As it completes one month, I am deeply moved by the positive response from travellers. This initiative reflects our commitment to ease the journey for every passenger," read the minister's post on Monday.
Naidu also posted a video of his visit to Kolkata for 100 years of Kolkata airport and inaugurating the cafe. In the cafe, operated by a private company, a passenger can buy a bottle of water at Rs 10, while coffee, one sweetmeat, and a 'samosa' cost Rs 20 each, sources in the NSCBI airport said. The sources said that there is a possibility that such low-cost cafes would be set up at other airports too. They also said that the Ministry of Civil Aviation, in association with AAI, has set up the cafe after a large number of passengers complained that food items inside airport terminal buildings are overpriced.
In a recent survey carried out across the country, a significant percentage of airline passengers said that food and beverages that are sold at airports are "excessively" priced, with some of them paying more than 200 per cent than at restaurants, organised retail outlets and railway stations. According to online social platform LocalCirles, 60 per cent of airline passengers surveyed say they were charged 100-200 per cent more for food and beverages at airports as compared to railway stations. The survey report released last month received over 28,000 responses from airline passengers located in 309 districts of India. Around 43 per cent of respondents were from Tier-I cities in the country, 30 per cent from Tier-2 and the remaining 27 per cent were from Tier-3, 4, 5 and rural areas. Citing the example of a samosa or patty that may cost more than Rs 200, or a thali above Rs 500, the report said that the price of coffee or tea or a cold beverage may easily cost Rs 200-300, two to three times what one would pay at a food outlet at a mall.
The overwhelming response to the UDAN Yatri Cafe underscores the need for affordability and accessibility in India's aviation sector. The success of this pilot project may pave the way for similar affordable outlets at airports nationwide, bridging the gap between passenger expectations and their experience.
