Remote stands at B.I.A
Having just come back from a most enjoyable two weeks in Sri Lanka I've been left wondering why most aircraft using the airport seem to park at remote stands and not use the airbridges at the terminal, Both my flights used remote stands and it seems that most others do to. The only aeroplanes I saw using the terminal building were from Qatar and Oman Air. Emirates, Etihad, Turkish, Air India, even Sri Lankan were all using steps and buses.
Don't get me wrong, there's something delightfully old fashioned and civilised about descending steps and walking across the tarmac. There's more of a sense of having 'arrived' when doing so, much more so than using an impersonal Airbridge. I was just wondering why this was the case. I didn't notice any improvement works that would mean most of the terminal is out of action so is it just cost cutting by the airlines, even the premium ones and the flag carrier?
Just curious.....