CHENNAI: The state has taken a U-turn from its decade-long stand, asking the centre to replace the operator of the Chennai airport.
The letter calls for a “time-bound decision” to transfer operations, management and future development to a new operator.
The letter, citing AAI data, notes Chennai fell to sixth place nationally in passenger traffic as of April 2026, and has been overtaken by Kolkata.
The airport’s terminal capacity stands at 27 million passengers a year - rising to 35 million once the ongoing expansion is complete - yet it handled only 23.01 million passengers in the 2025-26 financial year, barely above the pre-pandemic figure of 22.54 million.
It also flags repeated delays to Phase II work on the international terminal, which pushed back planned capacity upgrades.
CHENNAI: The state has taken a U-turn from its decade-long stand, asking the centre to replace the operator of the Chennai airport. Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 5, argued the state’s investment ambitions require an airport of a higher standard than the one the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has delivered. The letter calls for a “time-bound decision” to transfer operations, management and future development to a new operator.
The letter, citing AAI data, notes Chennai fell to sixth place nationally in passenger traffic as of April 2026, and has been overtaken by Kolkata. The airport’s terminal capacity stands at 27 million passengers a year - rising to 35 million once the ongoing expansion is complete - yet it handled only 23.01 million passengers in the 2025-26 financial year, barely above the pre-pandemic figure of 22.54 million.
It catalogues operational complaints, including difficulty accessing taxis and public transport outside the terminal, unregulated taxi operations, insufficient parking, poorly maintained restrooms and seating areas, recurring air-conditioning failures, slow baggage delivery, and long queues at security and immigration. It also flags repeated delays to Phase II work on the international terminal, which pushed back planned capacity upgrades.
