Chennai International Airport
Encyclopedia
Chennai International Airport , formerly known as Madras International Airport is located in Tirusulam
, 7 km (4.3 mi) south of Chennai
(Madras), India
. For the financial year 2010-11, it was the third busiest airport in India in terms of both international and overall passenger traffic, which is expected to double after March 2012 when its ongoing expansion will be completed and aircraft movements increase from 27 to 50 flights per hour.
It is located along Meenambakkam and Tirusulam with passenger entry at Tirusulam and cargo entry at Meenambakkam. The International terminal is named after Former Late Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Annadurai
. The domestic terminal is named after another former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Kamaraj
. It was built on land donated by former governor of Madras Presidency, L. Sriramulu Naidu
.
Madras (Chennai) had one of the first airports in India and was the final destination of Air India's first flight from Bombay (Mumbai
) via Belgaum
in 1954. The first passenger terminal
was built at the northeast side of the airfield, which lies in the suburb of Meenambakkam
due to which it was referred to as Meenambakkam Airport. A new terminal complex was subsequently built at Tirusulam
, further south near Pallavaram
to which, passenger operations were shifted. The old terminal building is now used as a cargo terminal and is the base for the Indian courier company Blue Dart
.
Chennai International Airport consists of three terminals: The old terminal at Meenambakkam is used for cargo, while the new passenger terminal complex at Tirusulam is used for passenger operations. The passenger terminal complex consists of the domestic and international terminals interconnected by a link building, which houses administrative offices and a restaurant. Although the complex is one continuous structure, it was built incrementally, with the Kamaraj and Anna terminals being added in 1988 to the pre-existing Meenambakkam terminal.
The first part to be built was the international terminal which had two aerobridges (jetways), followed by the domestic terminal with three aerobridges. After the completion of the domestic terminal, the old terminal at Meenambakkam was used exclusively for cargo. Recently the international terminal was extended further south by adding a new block which includes three aerobridges. At present, the new international block is used for departures while the older building is used for arrivals.
The international and the domestic terminals cover an area of 1.5 km2 and 1.8 km2, respectively. The airport is divided into two circles, with five zones each, for administrative conveniences.
and include the creation of a parallel runway
, taxiway
s, aprons
and new passenger terminal buildings. The expansion works will involve the acquisition of land in nearby areas. The expansion of the existing airport would be taken up at Manapakkam
, Kolapakkam, Gerugambakkam and Tharapakkam in Sriperumbudur
taluk after a resolution to this effect was adopted by the government. The cabinet has handed over 1069.99 acres for the overall expansion. This includes 233.01 acres from Manapakkam, 394.91 acres from Kolapakkam, 360.84 acres from Kerukampakkam and 81.20 acres from Tharapakkam.
The government would provide suitable compensation to 947 households in these areas and also rehabilitation to them. The rehabilitation of the households would be done in the first phase of the expansion work itself.
The modernisation and restructuring is expected to cost around 2,350 crore
, of which the cost of construction of the runway, taxiway and apron would be around 1,100 crore, while the cost of construction of the terminal building, cargo building, car park and face uplift would be 1,250 crore.
As part of the plan to expand the current airport, 126.59 acres of land for second runway was formally handed over to Airports Authority of India (AAI) to start with. As per the modernisation plan, the secondary runway will be built over the Adyar river by means of a bridge. The second runway will be extended by 1,400 meters length to 3445 meters and will extend across Adyar river. A bridge will be built over the river to accommodate the runway and a taxiway. This makes Chennai Airport, the only international airport in India to have a runway across the river. In Mumbai, only an end of the runway is over Mithi river. The secondary runway extension will cost around 430 crore and will be completed in 2010.
The proposed Chennai Metro
Rail Project will connect the Chennai International Airport to various parts of the City. Tentatively, the project is programmed for completion in the financial year 2013-2014.
Associates has done the landscape design Gensler
and Frederic Schwartz Architects are responsible for the design of the passengers terminal buildings, parking garage structures and access roadway access system. The Creative Group would be the local architects for the project. The proposed design will be connected with the existing terminal design elements. It was earlier reported that the new terminal buildings will have a handling capacity of 10 million passengers and when integrated with existing terminals will provide for a handling capacity of 23 million passengers a year. The new terminal buildings are expected to have an area of about 1,40,000 m². with 104 check-in counters, 16 aerobridge and 60 immigration counters and the two runways would be interconnected by a network of taxiways.
The Terminal complex will have a Flyover Travelator connecting the Domestic Terminal and International Terminal for a distance of about 1 km. It will have an elevated road on the top and a tube below which will have two Walkalators
The design details of the runways are handled by the Airports Authority of India
, while architecture firms are limited to designing buildings on the land side of the runway. The present proposal is parallel to the existing runway. The entire design as being organised around “two lush sustainable gardens” and the wing-like roofs helps collect rainwater and become part of the garden.
taluks, apart from the expansion of the existing airport at Tirusulam
. The greenfield airport would come up on 4200 acre (17 km²) of land. As of now, only soil testing at the proposed location for the project has been carried out.
The existing airport is being expanded at a cost of 3,000 crore and if the proposed new airport becomes a reality, the existing airport has to be shut down. Since the Airports Authority of India
has already invested this huge amount in the expansion of the existing airport, the Central and the state governments are preparing to shelve this project. There is no confirmed news on the expansion or the Greenfield Airport.
The feasibility report of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which has suggested that a second airport for the city could come up on 5,000 acres at Sriperumbudur
, was submitted to the State government. “The State government has to decide whether to have a second airport or to create a parallel runway at the existing airport,” he said.
) on the Suburban railway network
. Airport prepaid taxis are available round the clock, with moderate fares fixed by the government. The proposed Metro Rail System
will also connect the airport with other important places in Chennai.
Tirusulam
Tirusulam is a suburb of Chennai, India. For administrative purposes, it is a census town in Kancheepuram district. The Chennai International Airport terminals are located here...
, 7 km (4.3 mi) south of Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
(Madras), India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. For the financial year 2010-11, it was the third busiest airport in India in terms of both international and overall passenger traffic, which is expected to double after March 2012 when its ongoing expansion will be completed and aircraft movements increase from 27 to 50 flights per hour.
It is located along Meenambakkam and Tirusulam with passenger entry at Tirusulam and cargo entry at Meenambakkam. The International terminal is named after Former Late Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Annadurai
C. N. Annadurai
Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai , popularly called Anna , or Arignar Anna was a former Chief Minister of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu...
. The domestic terminal is named after another former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Kamaraj
K. Kamaraj
Kumarasami Kamaraj better known as K. Kamaraj was an Indian politician from Tamil Nadu widely acknowledged as the "Kingmaker" in Indian politics during the 1960s. He was the chief minister of Tamil Nadu during 1954-1963 and a Member of Parliament during 1952-1954 and 1969-1975...
. It was built on land donated by former governor of Madras Presidency, L. Sriramulu Naidu
L. Sriramulu Naidu
K. Sriramulu Naidu was a leader in the Justice Party, close friend of Periyar and the first Mayor of Madras in the 1930s and 40s, the capital of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. His father was the chief translator of the Madras Presidency for the British and was knighted the Rao Bahadur by King...
.
History
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
) via Belgaum
Belgaum
Belgaum is a city and a municipal corporation in Belgaum district in the state of Karnataka, India. It is the fourth largest city of the state of Karnataka, the first three being Bangalore, Mysore, Hubli-Dharwad....
in 1954. The first passenger terminal
Airport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
was built at the northeast side of the airfield, which lies in the suburb of Meenambakkam
Meenambakkam
Meenambakkam is a town in Kancheepuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Chennai International Airport Cargo Terminal is situated here. It has access to other parts of the city through suburban trains and buses. It also has a splendid hillock nearby.AAI Quarters is located in...
due to which it was referred to as Meenambakkam Airport. A new terminal complex was subsequently built at Tirusulam
Tirusulam
Tirusulam is a suburb of Chennai, India. For administrative purposes, it is a census town in Kancheepuram district. The Chennai International Airport terminals are located here...
, further south near Pallavaram
Pallavaram
Pallavapuram Municipality was constituted as a III Grade Municipality on 17.01.1970 vide G.o.No. 55 R.D. & L.A. Department dated 12.01.1970, by Combining the following Town Panchayats and Panchayats.* Zamin Pallavaram Town Panchayat* Issa Pallavaram Town Panchayat...
to which, passenger operations were shifted. The old terminal building is now used as a cargo terminal and is the base for the Indian courier company Blue Dart
Blue Dart Aviation
Blue Dart Aviation is an all-cargo airline based in Chennai, India. It operates scheduled night express cargo flights including domestic and regional charters. It has an in-house maintenance capability and provides aircraft maintenance and engineering support to other airlines .- History :The...
.
Structure
The first part to be built was the international terminal which had two aerobridges (jetways), followed by the domestic terminal with three aerobridges. After the completion of the domestic terminal, the old terminal at Meenambakkam was used exclusively for cargo. Recently the international terminal was extended further south by adding a new block which includes three aerobridges. At present, the new international block is used for departures while the older building is used for arrivals.
The international and the domestic terminals cover an area of 1.5 km2 and 1.8 km2, respectively. The airport is divided into two circles, with five zones each, for administrative conveniences.
Modernisation and expansion
The Chennai Airport has been slated for modernisation and expansion. The works are to be carried out by the Airports Authority of IndiaAirports Authority of India
The Airports Authority of India is an organization working under the Ministry of Civil Aviation that manages most of the airports in India. The AAI manages and operates 126 airports including 16 international airports, 89 domestic airports and 26 civil enclaves. The corporate headquarters are at...
and include the creation of a parallel runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
, taxiway
Taxiway
A taxiway is a path on an airport connecting runways with ramps, hangars, terminals and other facilities. They mostly have hard surface such as asphalt or concrete, although smaller airports sometimes use gravel or grass....
s, aprons
Airport ramp
The airport ramp or apron is part of an airport. It is usually the area where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refueled or boarded. Although the use of the apron is covered by regulations, such as lighting on vehicles, it is typically more accessible to users than the runway or taxiway...
and new passenger terminal buildings. The expansion works will involve the acquisition of land in nearby areas. The expansion of the existing airport would be taken up at Manapakkam
Manapakkam
Manapakkam is a census town in Kancheepuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-Demographics: India census, Manapakkam had a population of 8590. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Manapakkam has an average literacy rate of 73%, higher than the national average of 59.5%:...
, Kolapakkam, Gerugambakkam and Tharapakkam in Sriperumbudur
Sriperumbudur
Sriperumbudur is an industrial city in Kanchipuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located in proximity to Chennai. It is famous for being the birth place of Sri Ramanuja, one of the most prominent Hindu Vaishnava saints as well as the town where former Indian Prime Minister...
taluk after a resolution to this effect was adopted by the government. The cabinet has handed over 1069.99 acres for the overall expansion. This includes 233.01 acres from Manapakkam, 394.91 acres from Kolapakkam, 360.84 acres from Kerukampakkam and 81.20 acres from Tharapakkam.
The government would provide suitable compensation to 947 households in these areas and also rehabilitation to them. The rehabilitation of the households would be done in the first phase of the expansion work itself.
The modernisation and restructuring is expected to cost around 2,350 crore
Crore
A crore is a unit in the Indian number system equal to ten million , or 100 lakhs. It is widely used in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan....
, of which the cost of construction of the runway, taxiway and apron would be around 1,100 crore, while the cost of construction of the terminal building, cargo building, car park and face uplift would be 1,250 crore.
As part of the plan to expand the current airport, 126.59 acres of land for second runway was formally handed over to Airports Authority of India (AAI) to start with. As per the modernisation plan, the secondary runway will be built over the Adyar river by means of a bridge. The second runway will be extended by 1,400 meters length to 3445 meters and will extend across Adyar river. A bridge will be built over the river to accommodate the runway and a taxiway. This makes Chennai Airport, the only international airport in India to have a runway across the river. In Mumbai, only an end of the runway is over Mithi river. The secondary runway extension will cost around 430 crore and will be completed in 2010.
The proposed Chennai Metro
Chennai Metro
The Chennai Metro is a rapid transit system in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The Phase I of the project consisting of two corridors is under construction. The elevated section of the project is scheduled to be operational by 2013 and the entire project is scheduled to be completed by the financial...
Rail Project will connect the Chennai International Airport to various parts of the City. Tentatively, the project is programmed for completion in the financial year 2013-2014.
Proposed new passenger terminals
The current development projects include construction of a new domestic terminal and expansion of the current International terminal. The design is a collaborative effort of four firms. While George HargreavesGeorge Hargreaves
George Hargreaves is a landscape architect. He has many awards to his name for his contributions to the profession. Hargreaves and his firm designed numerous sites including the master plan for the Sydney 2000 Olympics, in Seattle, Washington, and ....
Associates has done the landscape design Gensler
Gensler
Gensler is an American design and architecture firm headquartered in San Francisco, California. The firm was founded in 1965 by Art Gensler, Drue Gensler, and James Follett, and originally focused on corporate interiors...
and Frederic Schwartz Architects are responsible for the design of the passengers terminal buildings, parking garage structures and access roadway access system. The Creative Group would be the local architects for the project. The proposed design will be connected with the existing terminal design elements. It was earlier reported that the new terminal buildings will have a handling capacity of 10 million passengers and when integrated with existing terminals will provide for a handling capacity of 23 million passengers a year. The new terminal buildings are expected to have an area of about 1,40,000 m². with 104 check-in counters, 16 aerobridge and 60 immigration counters and the two runways would be interconnected by a network of taxiways.
The Terminal complex will have a Flyover Travelator connecting the Domestic Terminal and International Terminal for a distance of about 1 km. It will have an elevated road on the top and a tube below which will have two Walkalators
The design details of the runways are handled by the Airports Authority of India
Airports Authority of India
The Airports Authority of India is an organization working under the Ministry of Civil Aviation that manages most of the airports in India. The AAI manages and operates 126 airports including 16 international airports, 89 domestic airports and 26 civil enclaves. The corporate headquarters are at...
, while architecture firms are limited to designing buildings on the land side of the runway. The present proposal is parallel to the existing runway. The entire design as being organised around “two lush sustainable gardens” and the wing-like roofs helps collect rainwater and become part of the garden.
Proposed new integrated cargo complex
An integrated cargo complex will be built in the cargo complex of the Chennai International Airport. The complex would be constructed, at a cost of 145 crore, in 15 months. While the ground floor would measure 21,000 square metres, the first floor would be built on 12,100 square metres. The new building would be used exclusively for import activities. Once the civil works were completed, the Automatic Storage and Retrieval System would be installed. It would cost 75 crore.New Greenfield Airport
There is a current plan of setting up of a new greenfield airport at Sriperumbudur and TiruvallurTiruvallur
Tiruvallur is a temple town and Grade I municipality in Tiruvallur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the Cooum river about northwest of the city of Chennai , the capital city of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Tiruvallur district...
taluks, apart from the expansion of the existing airport at Tirusulam
Tirusulam
Tirusulam is a suburb of Chennai, India. For administrative purposes, it is a census town in Kancheepuram district. The Chennai International Airport terminals are located here...
. The greenfield airport would come up on 4200 acre (17 km²) of land. As of now, only soil testing at the proposed location for the project has been carried out.
The existing airport is being expanded at a cost of 3,000 crore and if the proposed new airport becomes a reality, the existing airport has to be shut down. Since the Airports Authority of India
Airports Authority of India
The Airports Authority of India is an organization working under the Ministry of Civil Aviation that manages most of the airports in India. The AAI manages and operates 126 airports including 16 international airports, 89 domestic airports and 26 civil enclaves. The corporate headquarters are at...
has already invested this huge amount in the expansion of the existing airport, the Central and the state governments are preparing to shelve this project. There is no confirmed news on the expansion or the Greenfield Airport.
The feasibility report of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which has suggested that a second airport for the city could come up on 5,000 acres at Sriperumbudur
Sriperumbudur
Sriperumbudur is an industrial city in Kanchipuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located in proximity to Chennai. It is famous for being the birth place of Sri Ramanuja, one of the most prominent Hindu Vaishnava saints as well as the town where former Indian Prime Minister...
, was submitted to the State government. “The State government has to decide whether to have a second airport or to create a parallel runway at the existing airport,” he said.
Terminals, airlines and destinations
Scheduled airlines
Domestic flights operate from the Kamaraj Terminal, while the Anna Terminal is for international flights. The old terminal at Meenambakkam is used for Cargo Operations.Cargo Terminal
Martinair Cargo in addition to their own fleet also use KLM Cargo aircraft to MAA, which are in full KL Cargo livery, this is not to be mistaken as KL Cargo service.MRO hangar facility
Airlines that have hangar facilities at Chennai airport:Transport links
The airport is situated on the busy Grand Southern Trunk Road (National Highway 45) and is also served by the airport station (TirusulamTirusulam
Tirusulam is a suburb of Chennai, India. For administrative purposes, it is a census town in Kancheepuram district. The Chennai International Airport terminals are located here...
) on the Suburban railway network
Chennai suburban railway
Chennai suburban railway is a commuter rail system in the Indian city of Chennai operated by the Southern Railway. Chennai has a complex railway network. The system uses electrical multiple units operating on alternating current drawn from over-head cables through the catenary system...
. Airport prepaid taxis are available round the clock, with moderate fares fixed by the government. The proposed Metro Rail System
Chennai Metro
The Chennai Metro is a rapid transit system in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The Phase I of the project consisting of two corridors is under construction. The elevated section of the project is scheduled to be operational by 2013 and the entire project is scheduled to be completed by the financial...
will also connect the airport with other important places in Chennai.
Incidents and accidents
- On 5 March 1999, an ex-UTA Boeing 747-2B3F (SCD) freighter (registration F-GPAN) carrying a revenue load of 66 tons of cargo on flight 6745 from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Madras Meenambakkam, India, via Karachi, Pakistan and Bangalore HAL Airport, India, crash-landed, caught fire and burned out. Meenambakkam ATC had cleared the aircraft for an ILS approach to the airport's runway 07. The crew abandoned the approach due to technical difficulties. The aircraft circled to attempt a second approach. At the end of the second approach, the aircraft's nose struck the runway while touching down because its nose gear was either not down or not locked. The plane skidded and came to rest 7,000 feet (2,100 m) down the 13050 ft (3,977.6 m). runway. After it had come to a standstill, the crew noticed smoke on the flight deck and began to extinguish the flames. Soon after, flames erupted in the aircraft's front section. One crew member managed to escape from the flight deck via a rope ladder. The remaining four crew members were rescued by the airport fire service from the rear, before the flames engulfed the entire aircraft. The fire service was unable to extinguish the fire and the aircraft burned out.
- In August 1984, a bomb blastMeenambakkam bomb blastMeenambakkam bomb blast was the bomb blast that occurred in August 1984 at Meenambakkam International Airport at Chennai in Tamil Nadu in which 33 persons were killed and 27 others were injured....
1,200 meters from the airport killed 33 persons and injured 27 others.
External links
- Chennai Airport Guide
- Chennai International Airport
- MAP for proposed Greenfield Airport & Consolidated Update About Chennai Airport
- New Chennai Airport Design-Schwartzarch