CHENNAI: After years of delay and a legal dispute over parking rights, Chennai airport is set to open its long-awaited second cab pick-up facility by the end of July, offering relief to passengers grappling with chronic congestion outside the domestic and international arrival terminals.
The Rs 23.5-crore parking plaza, built to streamline passenger pick-ups and ease traffic bottlenecks, has remained idle despite the construction completed months ago. Its commissioning was stalled by legal and contractual issues linked to the airport’s existing parking arrangements.
Announcing events for Yatri Suvidha Diwas on June 15, Chennai Airport Director M Raja Kishore said the airport had decided to proceed with the facility after obtaining legal clearance. “We have received the opinion of the additional solicitor general and have come to the conclusion that the facility has to be opened,” he said, adding trial runs would be conducted before the plaza is opened to the public.
The move comes as Chennai airport faces rising passenger traffic while undertaking a major infrastructure expansion programme. However, progress on the airport’s second-phase expansion has slowed, pushing completion timelines beyond initial estimates. Kishore said the next phase is now expected to be completed by December 2026.
Kishore attributed the delay partly to disruptions in global supply chains triggered by the conflict in West Asia, which affected the availability and cost of construction materials and equipment. “The issue relating to the supply of finishing materials has now been resolved,” Kishore said.
“We are in discussions with contractors to ensure that the project is completed without any escalation in costs,” he added.
To speed up execution, the airport has increased manpower at the site. The workforce has been expanded from around 900 workers to 1,500, with another 300 personnel expected to be deployed in the coming months.
According to Kishore, nearly 45% of the second-phase expansion work has been completed so far.