Chennai Airport International (MAA): New Terminal, Key Facts & Real Estate Growth

Chennai Airport is an international airport serving the city of Chennai. In terms of passenger traffic, it is one of the busiest airports in India. In this blog, we will discuss everything related to Chennai Airport, including its infrastructure and connectivity.

About Chennai Airport

Chennai International Airport serves as a major hub for the city of Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and its metropolitan area. It is situated in the city’s Tirusulam locality, located approximately 4.4 km from the city center. It ranks among the busiest and most popular airports in the world. In 2017, more than 18 million passengers traveled through the airport.

Chennai Airport was formerly known as Madras International Airport. In 1985, Chennai Airport began catering to the needs of domestic travelers within India. A year later, in 1989, it also commenced operations for international passengers. The airport was subsequently relocated to a new terminal. The old terminal is now utilized for freight and cargo operations.

Chennai Airport – Quick Facts

Name	Chennai Airport
Airport Type	Public
Serves	Chennai Metropolitan Area
Opened	1930, 93 years ago
Chennai Airport Code	MAA
Chennai Airport Address	Airport Road, Meenambakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Owner	Ministry of Civil Aviation
Operator	Airports Authority of India
Coordinates	12°58′56″N 80°9′49″E

Chennai Airport Terminals

Spanning over 1,323 acres, Chennai Airport comprises four terminals. Chennai Airport Terminal 1 is the oldest terminal; situated in Meenambakkam, it currently serves as a cargo terminal. The other terminals located within the Trisulam complex—namely Terminals 2 and 3—are utilized for both domestic and international flights.

Terminal 2, known within the industry as the Kamaraj Domestic Terminal, was India’s first terminal to be equipped with two aerobridges. In subsequent years, Terminal 3—also referred to as the Anna International Terminal—was constructed, featuring three aerobridges.

Recently, as part of Chennai Airport’s expansion project, a new international terminal—Terminal 4—has been constructed. Currently, Terminal 4 is used for departing flights, while Terminal 3 is utilized for arriving flights. The second phase of the integrated terminal expansion is currently progressing rapidly. The construction of the second phase of Terminal 3 is estimated to be completed by early 2026. It is expected that this terminal will become operational for public use by March 20, 2026. The initial target date for the commissioning of the integrated terminal was set for July 2025, which was subsequently rescheduled to December 2025; the Airports Authority of India has now set the operational date for March 2026.

According to officials, Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally inaugurated the first phase of this terminal on April 20, 2023. Airport authorities have been operating a section of this terminal since the time of its inauguration.

Upon its completion, this new terminal building at Chennai Airport will be equipped with state-of-the-art amenities, including eight entry points, 10 security screening lanes, 60 check-in counters, and eight aerobridges. With the new terminal building, the passenger handling capacity of the airport will increase to 3.5 million people annually.

Officials are also planning to construct a fifth terminal at Chennai Airport. This terminal will be utilized specifically for cargo-related operations. According to officials, the Airports Authority of India has already made the necessary land available for this terminal. If this terminal project receives all the requisite approvals, construction work is expected to commence shortly. Chennai International Airport serves as the primary hub for both international and domestic flights, connecting Chennai to various cities across India as well as destinations worldwide. Numerous airlines operate from this airport, including both full-service carriers and low-cost airlines. Some of the prominent airlines operating from this airport include: Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Air, SpiceJet, Jet Airways, AirAsia India, GoAir, Vistara, Etihad Airways, Emirates, British Airways, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Lufthansa.

Chennai International Airport Runways

Chennai Airport features two runways: a main runway (No. 07/25) measuring 3,662 meters in length, and a secondary runway (No. 12/30) measuring 2,925 meters.

• Routine maintenance of the main runway is carried out on Tuesdays and Saturdays between 2:30 PM and 4:30 PM.
• The secondary runway has been extended across the Adyar River, making Chennai Airport the only international airport in India with a runway that spans over a river.
• Since 2011, the airport has acquired additional land for expansion and has constructed lighting systems, aircraft hangars, and a fuel farm.
• In October 2018, construction work on the runway was completed, with the objective of reducing the runway occupancy time from 70 seconds to just 60 seconds.

Airlines at the Chennai Airport

Domestic flights depart from Terminals 1 and 4, while international flights originate from Terminal 2. Here is a list of airlines that operate to and from Chennai Airport.

• Airlines
• Air Arabia
• Air Arabia Abu Dhabi
• AirAsia
• Air India
• Air India Express
• Air Mauritius
• Akasa Air
• Alliance Air
• Batik Air
• Biman Bangladesh Airlines
• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific
• Emirates
• Ethiopian Airlines
• Etihad Airways
• FitsAir
• Gulf Air
• IndiGo
• Jazeera Airways
• Kuwait Airways
• Lufthansa
• Malaysia Airlines
• Myanmar Airways International
• Oman Air
• Qatar Airways
• SalamAir
• Scoot
• Singapore Airlines
• SpiceJet
• SriLankan Airlines
• Thai AirAsia
• Thai Airways International
• US-Bangla Airlines
• Vistara

Chennai Airport Expansion Plans

As the number of passengers at Chennai Airport continues to rise annually, expansion work is currently underway across various sections of the airport.

One of the primary objectives of this initiative is the construction of a satellite terminal. This terminal is intended to help alleviate congestion at one of the airport’s existing terminals.

• This satellite terminal will be constructed within the airport complex itself.
• It will be interconnected with the airport’s other terminals.
• Passengers will be able to utilize underground walkways or ‘walkalators’ (moving walkways) to commute to and from this terminal.
• This will render passenger movement within the airport even more effortless and seamless.

However, despite all these improvements and expansion efforts, likely, the Thirusulam airport will once again face overcrowding in the near future. For this very reason, a proposal to construct another ‘Greenfield airport’ at Parandur has already been approved. This airport is being planned as a long-term project; once completed, it is expected to play a pivotal role in easing the passenger load (traffic) at Chennai Airport.

Chennai Airport Expansion Plan: Current Status

• The Core Scope: Chennai Airport is getting an enormous facelift as part of its continuing Phase 2 modernisation program. It’s a huge multi-crore scheme – worth approximately Rs. 2,467 crore that will completely transform the way the airport manages passengers, flights and international travel.
• The Space Upgrades: To date, this entire project spans a vast area of ​​2.36 million square meters. Its primary objective is to increase the maximum annual passenger capacity from 30 million to 35 million and to make it significantly more competitive compared to neighbouring southern hubs.
• Where Things Stand: What’s Happening through the terminal area recently, you’ve probably seen the huge steel skeleton growing up. This is the structural truss framework to support the new façade. The physical work of construction has now officially passed the 40% mark for completion.
• The Recent Setbacks: The past few weeks haven’t been easy for the team members working on site. An abrupt, sudden rise in the cost of building materials caused a handful of first contractors to quit their contracts.
• Global Supply Chain Hitches: Chain Problems Add to the stress, geopolitical tensions, and conflict within West Asia seriously messed up steel imports from around the world and threw a huge wrench into the initial timelines for construction.
• The Official Response: It’s clear that the Airports Authority of India isn’t simply waiting for things to get better. They’ve already issued slow-moving companies with official show-cause warnings, onboarded new contractors to fill in the gap, and established exact milestone targets to accelerate to work in a crowded and active terminal.
• The Updated Schedule: While it was believed that the Phase 2 expansion was initially scheduled for a launch in mid-2026, the recent issues with the contractor and supply chain have officially delayed the launch date. The goal is to complete all interior and structural work by the end of December 2026, which will lead to the full operation of the brand new T3 Terminal extension by March 2027.

Chennai Airport T3 To Open In 2027

Terminal 3 (T3) is a component of the terminal expansion integrated located at Chennai Airport. The terminal is in construction, and is expected to be completed by 2027.

Important information regarding T3:

• T3 is a part of the brand new terminal construction
• The terminal structure that was previously in use was demolished for this project.
• This new terminal is expected to facilitate greater passenger flow
• Security and check-in spaces are being added. is currently being added

Alongside T3 and T3, work on the next stage that will be integrated into the terminal underway. The main focus of this phase is:

• the capacity of total passenger handling
• reducing congestion during peak travel hours
• improving the movement of terminals

When the expansion is complete, Chennai Airport is expected to accommodate around 3.5 million passengers annually. The expansion is primarily designed to reduce crowds and reduce delays during busy times of travel.

Impact of Expansion on Surrounding Real Estate

In the past few years Chennai’s infrastructure has experienced massive expansion. This has meant that property markets, which includes houses in Chennai has gained its position as a popular place to buy due to the rapid development. The advent of data centres, IT parks, MNCs etc. and have helped improve the quality of residential property in Chennai.

Furthermore expanding airport infrastructure is contributing to the expansion. Its expansion resulted in an increase in the property value in the area. Better infrastructure, connectivity and amenities that result from the expansion have made the area more appealing for business, residents as well as investors increasing the demand for homes located in Chennai. This increasing demand is going to push up the cost of property.

Additionally, it is predicted that the expansion of the airport will bring in commercial development, including restaurants, hotels shopping centers, as well as offices. These developments will bring new jobs and boost growth in the economy of the area.

Chennai Airport Facilities

Here are some of the most important features that can help passengers enjoy smooth travel when they visit the airport.

Chennai Airport Parking Facility 

Chennai International Airport highlights a high-tech parking facility. Parking is offered in two blocks: that is the East block, and West block. It has parking on multiple levels for easy and convenient car parking in the terminal.

Car park: A secured area for parking cars as well as bicycles. It is designed to give an easy access to terminals at Chennai Express. Chennai airport. The multi-level parking area located at Chennai Express offers parking space for about 500 cars.

Details regarding the parking spaces provided by Chennai Airport are provided here:

• The total number of vehicle parking spaces in the Western Block is approximately 597.
• The total number of vehicle parking spaces in the Eastern Block is approximately 493.

Multi-Level Car Park at Chennai Airport
Levels	Capacity in West Block	Capacity in East Block
Ground	39	12
L1	43	3
L2	40	46
L3	101	22
L4	20	21
L5	121	23
Roof	233	366
Total	597	493

Space is also available for commercial vehicles in the parking area. Commercial vehicles are required to pay a small fee to enter the parking area at Chennai Airport.

Conclusion to Chennai International Airport (MAA)

Chennai International Airport plays a important function to connect the city to international and domestic destinations. Because of its strategically placed position and continuous expansion plans the airport is an entry point to the region, which facilitates expansion of the economy, tourism and a better connectivity. The airport’s expansion is expected to have positive effects on property market in the area, with an increase in the value of property as well as commercial development.

Frequently Asked Questions