Air passengers walk towards the multi-level car parking at Chennai airport. File
| Photo Credit: B. Velankanni Raj

Air passengers were initially relieved when it was announced that an additional cab pick-up point would be set up near the T1 domestic terminal at Chennai International Airport this month. However, much to their disappointment, they will have to wait another two months for its opening and, in the meantime, continue to make the long walk to the multi-level car parking lot.

The delay is attributed to the ongoing plaza and landscaping work opposite the T1 terminal, which has been moving at a slow pace. The second cab pick-up point can only be established once this work is completed.

For many months now, passengers flying into the Chennai airport have had to struggle to board a cab. As soon as they exit the arrival hall, they are forced to carry their baggage all the way to the second level of the parking lot to get a cab.

Though there are buggies to the parking lot and lifts, passengers find them inadequate. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) had drawn flak over this arrangement and there had been a deluge of complaints from air passengers on social media platform X.

This eventually led to the decision to reintroduce a second cab pick-up point opposite the T1 terminal, where it was originally located.

‘Installing canopy’

AAI officials stated they were working on sprucing up the area opposite the T1 terminal with landscaping and seating arrangements, providing passengers a place to sit and relax. “We are placing canopies now. Unfortunately, it took us some time to finalise the design of the canopy. After the canopy collapse in Delhi, we wanted to make sure the ones we install here were sturdy and secure. Now, we are facing a manpower issue, which we are trying to resolve. By the end of April, the landscaping work will certainly be complete, and in May, the cab pick-up can begin from this location,” an official said.

Sathish Galley, a frequent flyer, said he returned to Chennai from Hyderabad last week and found it tiresome to get to the parking lot of the airport. “Walking to the multi-level parking lot with my luggage after a delayed flight was extremely exhausting. There was a long wait for the lift as many passengers had arrived with their luggage. The AAI should take immediate steps to allow passengers to board cabs near the arrival points and make the process more user-friendly. Otherwise, passengers will continue to suffer,” he added.