I have noted with great pride the gradual unfolding of the majestic complex that will house the new SSR International Airport terminal. As a citizen who has been blessed with the opportunity and privilege to travel a lot worldwide by courtesy of my long career at Air Mauritius, I would like to humbly share some obvious observations which, I trust, will serve to reinforce among all the stakeholders/ users the necessity to appreciate and cherish at its just value the significance of this jewel-in-the-crown mega-infrastructure. Not the time of its official opening… not over a few months, but for years and years to come. How do we do this? I believe here lies the biggest challenge!

While getting into an airplane is an experience that we always cherish like a child, it is mainly the whole frantic atmosphere in and around an airport that often drives the curiosity and adrenaline of any onlooker, traveler, or any user for that matter. The whole business and experience of travelling also serve to remind us about our time immemorial basic nomadic instinct. And yet behind the whole glamour and often seemingly ‘organized-chaos’ that prevail at an international airport, one cannot take for granted the systematic planning, organization, communication and coordination that are continuously at play at different levels in order to make the airport THE Place where the travelling experience would mainly leave its imprints. For the imprints to be positive, the whole activities in and around the airport have to be effectively managed and synchronized like the different partitions of a great philharmonic orchestra. At all times, meticulously and professionally! This is what makes the hallmark and commands breathtaking admiration and respect for airports like Incheon (South Korea), Changi (Singapore), Chep Lap Kok (HongKong), Beijing, Munich, etc.

An international airport is in itself a village or a village in the making. True, it is for the country, the landmark point of Welcome and Farewell for all travellers and users. To that extent, and as rightly exemplified by the top ranked airports of the world, it is not only a matter of Smile and Warmth but also a translation of the bigger culture of Work Ethics and Discipline that the whole country consistently nurtures. This is what I feel is the differentiating factor among the different airports of the world, infrastructures being equal. The culture underpinning Work Ethics and Discipline!

I do not have the pretention to be condescending or patronizing, but this is what I feel is playing us foul in this country. It is not a matter of one government or another, but an overall mentality and culture that we all need to question and change. The best airport, with the best infrastructure and logistics, can be a shining pride only when the people (all users), especially, the internal customers in charge of Security, Service Delivery and Upkeep act like real patriots at all times. Otherwise, the cynical aphorism ‘Tout Nouveau Tout beau’ will unfortunately become true for our newly unveiled airport terminal. Let us Trust our people, but let us also be effective in our Vigilance to prevent and sanction casual attitude from staffs and users. Welcoming at all times, but also effective Supervision to ensure Discipline and Constant Upkeep of the Standards of the Service and Infrastructure.

On the count of Discipline, I would like to share my utter astonishment to the one fact that seems to endure unnoticed at our airport for years. While a country, through its main point of entry and exit, needs to display a very warm and welcoming disposition, it is also of utmost importance that it communicates a strong sense of adherence to Discipline and Security. We all know that no Service can be worthy if the sense of Security and Safety is porous or lacking. I am proud that Mauritius fares well in this area, but to the extent of our ambitions and in a proactive manner, we need to keep aiming for constant improvements. International Airports are known for their meticulous sense of compliance with uncompromising rules of Safety and Security. They certainly need to be unobtrusive, but they can never play second fiddle to commercial considerations. For that matter, airports worldwide are fully Sterile/Secure zones. The basic point of compliance with that Security/ Safety culture starts with the mark of identification of all internal users/staffs (casual/ regular) operating within the compounds of airport. With distinct uniform attire and clearly labelled Civil Aviation Authority valid Entry pass for each individual and or group of staff. While the attire can be fanciful or changing for commercial users, it needs be sober, distinct and highly conspicuous for Security, Safety and Immigrations personnel. This is the case at all international airports for obvious reasons. Unfortunately, I fail to understand how Immigration officers at the airport in Mauritius can choose to work or walk in a sterile/secure airport compound with no visible and distinct uniform attire, except for the CAA Entry Pass. Nowhere have I seen airport Immigration officers operating in civilian clothing of their choice. Why is this allowed to endure in our airport? Just like we have special airport Police units for Immigrations in other countries, with distinct uniform that translates authority (e.g. Police des Frontières in France, UK, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong etc), may I suggest that this long-awaited improvement is also brought while we are up welcoming a new airport Terminal infrastructure with revamped Safety/Security and Commercial amenities.

To end, I would make an appeal to my fellow compatriots to celebrate the inauguration of the new Airport Terminal with pride but also with a different mindset. One that opens a new era in terms of conceptualization and evaluation of our patrimony and infrastructures, not in terms of Quantity alone, but also and above all in terms of Quality. Concerns for Quality is more about Attitude than a matter of Technology or Logistics. This is the paradigm shift that we need. One that will really change our country and take us to new heights. Concerns for Quality in Our Thinking, our Outlook and in the Output! Not mere focus on arithmetical progression. A tall Order ? No. Let us foremost try changing our Mentality, actively Participate in nationbuilding without losing our sense of Humanity and Hospitality … and be the change we want the world to be!

CONCERNS FOR QUALITY IS MORE ABOUT ATTITUDE.