In major relief, Chennai Airport passenger pick-up plaza to be inaugurated virtually on Sunday

After nearly two years of delay, the passenger pick-up plaza at Chennai Airport will finally be inaugurated on Sunday, with Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu set to open the facility virtually. The virtual inauguration is due to the ongoing BRICS Summit, a statement said.

This will be a major relief for passengers arriving from both domestic and international arrivals who had to travel in golf carts to reach the taxi pick-up points.

The ₹23-crore plaza will provide passengers with a pick-up point directly opposite the T1 domestic terminal, allowing them to board cabs without having to make the long trek to the multi-level car parking facility. The existing pick-up point at the airport complex will also continue to operate, sources said.

Construction of the plaza began in 2023 and was originally scheduled for completion by October 2024. However, the project faced delays, pushing back its opening by nearly two years.

For passengers, particularly those arriving on international flights with large amounts of baggage, the new facility is expected to be a significant relief. At present, passengers seeking a cab from the designated pick-up area have to travel to the multi-level car park.

Though airport buggies are available to ferry passengers, long queues can often make the service inconvenient. The need for a closer, dedicated pick up point has been a long time demand of passengers landing at the Airport.

The pickup plaza provides a dedicated and regulated facility for vehicles arriving to pick up passengers.

Initially the plaza will accommodate cab aggregators including Uber, Ola, Rapido, Fast Track, Red Taxi, WTi and pre-paid taxi. The facility will be extended to other yellow board vehicles in future, once the new system is streamlined, said airport sources.

The plaza has a seating capacity of 150 passengers and is equipped with covered roofing, drinking water facilities, Flight Information Display System (FIDS) and other passenger amenities.

Located approximately 30 m in front of Terminal 1, the Pickup Plaza has been designed to facilitate systematic vehicular movement and ensure a more organised and efficient passenger pickup process.

The facility comprises three dedicated traffic lanes, each 7 metres wide. Lanes A and B are designated for passenger pickup, while Lane C functions as the exit lane and incorporates a U-turn facility.

This configuration enables orderly entry, passenger pickup and exit, thereby facilitating smooth traffic circulation within the terminal frontage.