‘We Romanticise The West’: Woman Says Indian Airports Are ‘Better’ Than Swiss Counterparts, Divides Internet

A woman travelling to Geneva compared the airport to those in India. She shared that Indians are often too quick to praise the West while overlooking improvements at home. Sharing her experience after landing in the city, she argued that Indian airports are better equipped, accessible, easy to navigate, and passenger-friendly.

“Landing in Geneva, one is reminded how quick we are to romanticise “the West” and run down our own systems in India,” Shazia Ilmi wrote in her X post. While acknowledging that Geneva is “beautiful” and “efficient in many ways,” she claimed her experience at the airport was dissatisfactory.

She said, “No lifts or elevators where you’d expect them, confusing baggage belts, barely any signage or help. A lady with crutches

had to hobble down the stairs because there was no elevator!”

“Amazing Service And Aliveness”

The experience prompted her to compare Geneva Airport with several airports in India. “It made me think of our own airports — from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport to Indira Gandhi International Airport, Rajabhoj International Airport, Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport and Jolly Grant Airport — where navigation, accessibility, and passenger support are so great. Such amazing service and aliveness,” she mentioned.

“We in India often complain endlessly about how bad things are at home and how “great” “abroad” is,” Shazia added. “Travel teaches the opposite too: every system has its flaws. And sometimes, back home, we are doing far better than we give ourselves credit for.”

Landing in Geneva, one is reminded how quick we are to romanticise “the West” and run down our own systems in India.

Geneva is beautiful, efficient in many ways, no doubt. But at the airport? No lifts or elevators where you’d expect them, confusing baggage belts, barely any… pic.twitter.com/tDA57zNsvV

— Shazia Ilmi (@shaziailmi) June 28, 2026

Internet Is Divided Over Her Comparison

The post quickly gained traction online, with many users agreeing that India’s airport infrastructure has improved significantly over the years. However, others felt the comparison was unfair.

A person said, “No doubt, most of our airports in India, like in Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, etc., are far better than these airports.”

“I fully agree with you. European airports are like rail stations, no passenger services. You can’t get food at odd hours; there are huge crowds at the gates. Quite a many times I had to jump the security queue to get to my flight,” shared someone.

“Very true. I’m sitting at Davao Airport in the Philippines, and the public bathrooms are in terrible condition, badly smelling, with broken taps. I ended up paying for lounge access just to use a clean washroom,” another person revealed.

Meanwhile, an individual said, “There are elevators! I live there and use the airport very frequently. The larger point you are making may be true, but not with the example of Geneva, which is an excellent, well-organised small airport. Look for a different example.”

Another quipped, “Please compare what the masses use in India and not what less than 5% of India gets to experience. Our airports are now state-of-the-art but India’s highways, city roads and public transport are torture, humiliation and death traps. Refrain from being suit-boot.”