Chennai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Chennai Airport’s new integrated terminal later this month.
The new integrated terminal was built in a 1,97,000 sqm area as part of the Phase-2 project for capacity enhancement and to handle higher number of passengers.
The event is ikely to be held on March 26 or 27. The exact date of the event will be finalised in the next few days. Airport sources said two dates–March 26 and 27–are being considered for the inauguration and the Airports Authority of India officials have started making arrangements for the function.
“Even though a part of the terminal will be inaugurated later this month, it would be put to use for passengers after two to three weeks as some more preparations have to be completed”, the sources said.
“Once it is over, the international flight operations will be ready for take off from the new terminal,” the sources said.
Customs, immigration and CISF staff will check for the smooth functioning of all the systems to ensure that all the required facilities for passengers are available. Also, the food and beverage stalls will be set up during this period before the international passenger operations begin,” AAI officials said.
Initially, only a part of this new terminal will be operational. The next phase of construction of the remaining portion will continue after the inauguration.
Officials will have to execute multiple trial runs after the inauguration during which all the systems and the staff will move to the new terminal gradually.
Five years ago, the airport witnessed the beginning of the Phase-II project to increase capacity and enable the airport handle 35 million passengers a year.
The project, executed at an estimated cost of about Rs 2,500 crore, will include an integrated terminal with an expansive area of 1,97,000 sq.mt.
As per the plan, the domestic terminals will be located at the two ends and the international terminal in the centre.
