Latest surprising news for the Chennai residents regarding airport expansion!!
Posted on: 27/Aug/2022 10:02:58 AM
Many residents belonging to Chennai would be surprised by this latest news!!
For serving 55 million passengers per annum or MPPA, Chennai airport would be expanded further. Point is that that AAI or Airport Authority of India has requested the TN government to acquire 306 acres of land for building an international as well as cargo terminal on either side of Adyar River. This was according to Mr. Sharad Kumar, director of Chennai airport. Hr then mentioned that a letter has been sent to the government to acquire the land.
A feasibility study is being conducted by RITES and Alexandra Richter ARC Consulting and it will get over in 6 months. Information is that the present cargo terminal would be shifted to the other side of Adyar. For expanding the apron bays, the existing cargo infrastructure would be modified.
Fact is that Chennai airport requires more apron bays for the aircraft to handle the projected 55 MPPA. Now, the Chennai airport operates on 1317 acres of land and the airport is one of the largest in India. It is now said that the expansion of Chennai airport has come at the time when the TN government is acquiring lands for the construction of the second airport at Parandur. This airport would serve 10crores passengers.
By the month of December 2022, the work on the stage-1 of the second phase of the Chennai airport modernisation would get completed. In the middle of October, trial run of the stage-1 of the phase2- modernisation of the airport would start. It would be in operation depending on the feedback. Based on many queries from the passengers, dry run for the new terminal has been taken up. This was according to Mr. Sharad Kumar.
It is noteworthy that the airport initially thought of having dry run by catering to weekly flights. There are plans now to have an airline with flights once or twice per week to shift it to the new terminal. There would be a full- fledged dry run in the future. Customs, immigration counters plus delivery and conveyor belts etc would be there. The opening of stage-1 of the terminal would be decided after confirming its functioning. By December 2024, the second phase of airport`s modernisation would get over and it would enhance its capacity to serve 35 MPPA from 22 MPPA now.
It is important to note that after the second phase of modernisation gets over then terminal 2 and terminal 3 of the airport would be used for international flights. Terminals 1 and 4 would be used for domestic flights. Many passengers would benefit from the stage-1 modernisation as they would no longer have to walk half a kilometre from the domestic to international terminal and vice versa.
