AAI officials say that some airlines have cancelled flights for various reasons, and passenger traffic will increase once construction of the new integrated terminal building is completed.
| Photo Credit: VELANKANNI RAJ B
Once the gateway to South India, Chennai airport now trails behind various other metro airports in the country, including Kolkata, and sits as the sixth busiest airport in the country.For the month of April, the airport has registered a total of passenger traffic of 17.3 lakh, lagging behind Kolkata, which recorded 17.6 lakh. Meanwhile, Bengaluru airport, which was once behind Chennai airport in passenger traffic, now stands as the third-busiest airport in the country in overall passenger traffic, and in domestic passenger traffic alone it has even raced past Mumbai airport, with 31.7 lakh passengers in April.In the last decade, Chennai airport has seen a growth of 24%, with passenger traffic rising from 14,02,247 in 2016 to 17,39,902 in 2026. On the other hand, Bengaluru and Hyderabad airports have seen a growth of 105% and 100% respectively.Officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said passenger traffic will go up once the construction of the new integrated terminal building is completed. “We must also understand that some of the airlines have also cancelled their flights in the last two months due to the rise in jet fuel prices. Also, along with the passenger traffic, when the upcoming airside work gets completed, the passenger traffic in Chennai too will increase,” an official said.Air passengers have consistently voiced their frustration and disappointment about various issues, including maintenance and delay in the opening of the plaza and the T3 terminal building.Karthik K., a frequent flyer, said the ease of flying and transiting through an airport is far more comfortable in cities such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad. “I’m thoroughly unhappy with multiple aspects of the maintenance of the airport, be it the washrooms or even the chairs. Also, the options to eat and shop within the domestic and international terminals at Chennai airport are far fewer when compared to a privately managed airport,” he said.Passengers say they are now pinning their hopes on the proposed Parandur airport. “Chennai has already missed the bus once when the Sriperumbudur airport didn’t take off. Now, I fervently hope that at least the Parandur project is completed soon and the people of the city have a well-managed and a better-connected airport,” he adds.Industry too has recognised the need for a second airport for Chennai city.V.N. Shiva Shankar, senior vice-president of the South Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI), said the existing Chennai airport lies far behind private airports like Bengaluru and Hyderabad. “The infrastructure is inadequate in my opinion, and maintenance is far from satisfactory. The reason passenger traffic is low is that the airport doesn’t have the connectivity Bengaluru and Hyderabad have. Be it domestic or international, those two privately operated airports have attracted airlines and added connectivity to several destinations. Hence the passenger traffic there is high when compared to Chennai,” he added.Rebuilding and modifying the existing airport won’t benefit Chennai in any way, he said. The massive second airport proposed for the city at Parandur will drastically help in boosting the economy and is the need of the hour, Mr. Shankar added.“The city should have had a second airport at least a decade ago. We cannot afford to lose more time. You cannot view an airport as just a single entity that serves for flight operations alone. The lessons that world-class airports have taught us are that airports drive the economy of the city and the State. It will draw investments, aid in creating lakhs of jobs and serve as a vibrant ecosystem,” he said.It is to be noted that the plaza, which will be the second pick-up point for cabs, hasn’t been opened yet, though it is ready. Also, the T3 terminal construction has seen multiple delays, and the work is expected to be over only by the year end. Published - May 31, 2026 12:36 am IST
