Chennai Airport in Tamil Nadu was formerly known as Madras Airport.
Chennai Airport
Chennai International Airport is situated at Tirisulam, 7 Km south of Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu, India. The airport holds the distinction of being one of the largest international gateways into the country and being the third busiest airport in India, after Mumbai and Delhi. In addition to this, the airport operates as the main air hub for Tamil Nadu. The airport serves more than 25 different airlines. Chennai airport is the second-largest cargo hub in the country, after Mumbai. Go through the following lines to check out information on the profile of Chennai airport.
History
The history of Chennai airport dates back to the 1950s, when it was one of the first airports in India. The airport served as the final destination of Air India's first flight from Bombay (Mumbai) via Belgaum, in 1954. Initially, Chennai airport was referred to as Meenambakkam Airport, due to the construction of the first passenger terminal, located at the northeast side of the airfield. The place was included in the suburb of Meenambakkam. The passenger operations were shifted to Tirusulam, south near Pallavaram, where a new terminal complex was built. Currently, the old terminal building is used as a cargo terminal and served as the base for Indian courier company - Blue Dart.
Airport Structure
Chennai International Airport consists of three terminals, which include the old terminal at Meenambakkam, the new passenger terminal complex situated near Pallavaram, which consists of both domestic and international terminals. The domestic and international terminals are linked by a building, which houses administrative offices and a restaurant. A new international block, consisting of three aerobridges, has been added to the airport. The new block is used for departures, while the older building serves as a place for arrivals.
Plans
The Chennai International Airport is planning its modernization and expansion. As a part of the renovation drive, the airport proposes to include a parallel runway, taxiways, aprons and new passenger terminal buildings, in its premises. In order to expand itself, the airport would acquire land in nearby areas. Manapakkam, Kolapakkam, Gerugambakkam and Tharapakkam in Sriperumbudur taluk are the proposed areas, where the airport would be expanded. The airport plans to construct a new domestic terminal and expand its existing international terminal. In addition to this, Chennai Airport has decided to construct an integrated cargo complex in its premises.
Airlines
Domestic Flights (Kamraj Terminal)
- Air India Regional (Delhi, Visakhapatnam)
- Indian Airlines (Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Madurai, Mumbai, Port Blair, Trichy, Trivandrum)
- IndiGo Airlines (Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune)
- Jet Airways (Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Madurai, Mumbai, Pune, Trivandrum, Visakhapatnam)
- JetLite (Delhi, Mumbai, Visakhapatnam)
- Kingfisher Airlines (Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calicut, Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Madurai, Mangalore, Mumbai, Port Blair, Pune, Tiruchirapally, Trivandrum, Tuticorin, Visakhapatnam)
- Paramount Airways (Ahmedabad, Agartala, Bangalore, Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Madurai, Pune, Trichy, Trivandrum)
- SpiceJet (Ahmedabad, Bagdogra, Coimbatore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune)
International Flights (Anna Terminal)
- Air Arabia (Sharjah)
- Air India (Dammam)
- Air India Express (Abu Dhabi, Colombo, Dubai, Hyderabad, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, Singapore, Trichy, Trivandrum)
- Air Mauritius (Mauritius)
- British Airways (London-Heathrow)
- Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong)
- Emirates (Dubai)
- Etihad Airways (Abu Dhabi)
- Gulf Air (Bahrain)
- Indian Airlines (Calicut, Cochin, Colombo, Dubai, Goa, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait, Mumbai, Muscat, Sharjah, Singapore, Trichy, Trivandrum)
- Jet Airways (Brussels, Colombo, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, New York-JFK, Singapore)
- JetLite (Colombo)
- Kingfisher Airlines (Colombo)
- Kuwait Airways (Kuwait)
- Lufthansa (Frankfurt)
- Malaysia Airlines (Kuala Lumpur)
- Oman Air (Muscat)
- Qatar Airways (Doha)
- Saudi Arabian Airlines (Jeddah, Riyadh)
- Singapore Airlines (Singapore)
- Sri Lankan Airlines (Colombo)
- Thai Airways International (Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Dubai)
- Tiger Airways (Singapore)
Firsts Credited To Chennai Airport
- First International Airport in India to get ISO-9001-2000 Certification
- First airport to have International & Domestic Terminals adjacent to each other
- First to have aerobridge at Domestic Terminal
- First to use Domestic Terminal for International flight on wheels
- First to supply free mineral water through designated water coolers at Kamaraj Domestic Terminal & Anna International Terminal
- First to introduce paper cups at Airport to make it environment friendly
Passenger Facilities
- Free Telephone in Security Hold Area
- Reserved lounge / Executive lounge
- Railway Reservation Counter
- AAI (IAD) Assistance Counter
- Special Assistance for Physically Handicapped Passengers
- Pre-paid Taxi & Car Rental Counter
- Infant Lobby
- Art Corner
- Free Medical Facility
- Free Passengers Trolly
- Retiring Rooms & Dormitory Accommodation for Transit Passengers
- Health Scan Facility
- Auto Vending Machines (for snacks, newspapers, magazines etc.)
- Restaurant
- Exclusive Restaurant for passengers, visitors & staff located in link building
- Entertainment Televisions
- STD/ISD
- Vending machines for Tea / Coffee and Cold Drinks
- Snack Bar Counter
- ICICI/Indian Bank ATM counters
- Foreign Exchange Counters
- Pharmacy Shop
- Instant Roasted and Grounded Coffee
- Toilets
- Cyber Cafe
- Video/Phone/Conference Facility
- Duty Free Shop
- Gift Shop
- Travelers Requisite Shop
- Book Stall
- AMBU-Lift Facility
- Tourist Information Counter - Govt. of India
- City Coach Centre
Contact Details
Chennai International Airport
Great Southern Trunk Rd
Meenambakkam
Tamil Nadu
India
Phone :044-22560661 (9 lines)
Fax :22560512, 22560841.India
Last Updated on 1st August, 2009
