Grammy winner Ricky Kej shares his harrowing experience at Bengaluru airport: ‘In line for an hour, staff is clueless’

Music composer Ricky Kej, who recently returned to India from Cannes Film Festival 2022, said he had a harrowing experience at the Bengaluru airport. Taking to Twitter, Ricky shared a clip giving a view of the crowded airport with ‘well over 1000 people waiting’ at the immigration hub. He also spoke about the other issues facing Bengaluru airport, including having ‘so many flight,’ but ‘no capacity.’ (Also Read | Ricky Kej gets praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi after second Grammy win: ‘Congratulations for remarkable feat’)

In the video posted by Ricky, many people were seen waiting near the counters inside the airport. He captioned the post, “Pathetic state of immigration at the Bengaluru International Airport. Been in line for over an hour now. Currently, well over 1000 people waiting, not all counters working, staff is clueless, inefficient. @BLRAirport Why have so many flights, when there is no capacity? @kiranshaw.”

In a series of tweets, he also wrote, “How are we expected to build #BrandIndia if this is the welcome that everyone gets by the airports. The first impression of India for foreign travellers.” “Number of lines to enter Bengaluru, India @BLRAirport–1) Air Suvidha check, 2) Immigration, 3) Check if immigration stamp is accurate (Not joking, this is another line), 4) Baggage screening -Customs, 5) Collecting bags, 6) Customs may do additional screening. STEPS can be reduced!”

Ricky also wrote on Twitter, “I see a lot of comments naming some other country immigration as being worse than Bengaluru. Our mindset needs to change. We are comfortable with ourselves if we are not the worst! Haha.. we pat our backs if we manage to be second to worst. Why not try and be among the best?”

He also responded to Twitter users, who disagreed with him. A person wrote, “I disagree with you. Have come to Blore airport 16 times. Had delayed immigration maybe 2 times because many flights landed at the same time. It’s the same even in US airports.” Ricky replied, “I came to the blr airport 4 times in just one month. And this is my experience.”

Another Twitter user said, “The JFK airport in NYC is worse. Have to wait in the queue for hours and to make it worse the hawkish and intimidating cops roaming around suspecting every coloured traveller! BLR Airport Terminal 2 is getting built, this is a temporary rush.” He replied, “Firstly do not agree with you. The steps of immigration in JFK is much fewer. Here it is 6 lines, there 3 at the most. Even on days it takes time, staff know which lines to send you too and are efficient. Queues are moving. Also, if every airport is bad.. does not make blr good.”

Recently, Ricky was in news after he won his second Grammy on April 3. The composer took home the trophy at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards. He bagged the award along with Stewart Copeland for Devine Tides in the Best New Age Album category. His previous Grammy win came in 2015 for his album, Winds of Samsara. Based on the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, Winds of Samsara was a runaway success and debuted at No.1 on the US Billboard New Age Albums chart, a first for a person of Indian origin.