Chennai International Airport

It is the regional headquarters of the Airports Authority of India for the southern sector of India, which comprises the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and the union territories of Pondicherry and Lakshadweep.

The Chennai Airport is reported to be the third busiest airport in the country in terms of passenger handling, after Mumbai and Delhi International Airport.  As per cargo handling, this is the second demanding airport of the country.

In the year 1912, the first domestic flight was flown between Delhi and Karachi by the Indian Air services. The first flight of Air India was launched in the year of 1954 from this airport, which was flown between Mumbai and Belgaum.

The two passenger terminals of Chennai International Airport- the domestic and the international terminals are located adjacent to each other. The third terminal at Meenambakkam is treated as the cargo terminal.

Terminals of Chennai International Airport:

Terminal 1:
The Kamaraj Terminal is the domestic terminal that links the city with 20 destinations across India. A number of flights of prominent airlines like Air India, Indigo Airlines, Jet Airways and Jetlite, Spicejet and Kingfisher Airlines operate from this terminal connecting all the major cities of the country.

Terminal 2:
The International Terminal of CIA is known as the Anna Terminal, which connects the city with all the major terminuses of the world like London, Dubai, Muscat, Singapore, Bahrain, Sri Lanka Dhahran, Jeddah, Kuala Lampur and Frankfurt. 

Some of the reputed airlines operating from this terminal are Air India, Indian Airlines, Lufthansa, Air Lanka, Oman Air, Cathay Pacific, American Airlines, Gulf Air, Singapore Airlines, British Airways, Malaysian Airlines and Saudi Airlines.

Cargo Terminal: The old airport at Meenambakkam is now exclusively used for cargo. This cargo terminal handles two divisions-the import and export facilities. For the third consecutive time, CIA was selected as the Airport of the Year again in 2012, for cargo handling.

Runways of the Chennai International Airport:

CIA has two runways for safe landing and take-offs:

• The primary one is No. 07/25, which is 3,658 m long.
  
  
• The secondary runway is No. 12/30 that is 2, 925 m long.
  

Facilities at Chennai International Airport:

• The Suburban Rail Service is linked by underground passage from the airport. It provides swift transportation services between the airport and the city.
  
  
• The Anna International Terminal has two aero-bridges and the Kamaraj Domestic Terminal has three aero-bridges for the comfort of the air travelers. This one is actually the first airport to have aero-bridges for domestic terminal.
  
  
• A number of hotels are located near Chennai airport that provides accommodations for transit passengers. Several options are available according to varying budgets.
  
  
• There are a lot of places to eat and shop within the airport like duty free shops, coffee bars and book stalls. One can also avail the services of the reserved lounges and executive suites of different airlines.
  
  
• Numerous options of prepaid and rental cab services are available 24/7 to and from the city and the airport. These are reasonable, easy to avail and safe traveling options for the passengers and visitors.
  
  
• The airport has an infant lobby and special parking spaces for the physically challenged passengers.
  
  
• The airport also has some awesome facilities like the health scan facility at the domestic terminal, dormitory lodging, auto vending machines for cocktail snacks and magazines, web surfing centers, retiring rooms, and video and phone conferencing amenities.

Chennai Airport Taxis / Cabs:

Airport taxis are readily available 24/7 between Chennai international airport and the city. You can book an A/C or non-A/C car at a very reasonable rate for a safe journey to the airport. These bookings can be done either online or booked for prepaid and postpaid services as well. 

To know more about the Cab Services in Chennai, click here.

Chennai Airport Buses:

Various bus services are available in between the city and the airport. These are much cheaper and comfortable rides for the airport passengers. Airport bus services operate frequently at every hour and for all days of the week. These buses are available as A/C as well as Non-A/C cost effective and deluxe carriers. For fast and reasonable bus facilities, contact:

• Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT)
  Address: CMBT Passengers Way, Koyambedu, Chennai-07
  
  
• Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) Bus Stand
  

Know about the Bus Routes in Chennai here.

Chennai International Airport at a Glance

• Address: Great Southern Trunk Road, Meenambakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600027
• Elevation: 10 m
• Time Zone: +5:30 hours from UTC/GMT
• Airport Code:
• FlightStats code: MAA
• IATA code: MAA
• ICAO code: VOMM

Other Airports around Chennai:

Some of the reputed airport bases nearest to the Chennai International Airport are listed below. These are either international terminals or domestic ports used basically for commercial and private flying.

Some of them are air bases serving defense purposes.

1. Tiruchirappalli International Airport or Trichy International Airport:
   Location: Tiruchirapalli
   Flight Destinations: Kuala Lumpur, Chennai, Singapore, Kochi, Dubai, Colombo, Bangalore, Singapore.
   Airport Type: International
   Airport Role: Commercial
   
   
2. Coimbatore Airport:
   Location: Peelamedu, Coimbatore
   Flight Destinations: Sharjah, Delhi, Kozhikode, Mumbai, Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Singapore.
   Airport Type: International
   Airport Role: Commercial
   
   
3. Madurai Airport:
   Location: Madurai
   Flight Destinations: Chennai, Mumbai, Lanka, Colombo, Delhi, Hyderabad
   Airport Type: Customs
   Airport Role: Commercial
   
   
4. Salem Airport:
   Location: Salem
   Airport Type: Domestic
   Airport Role: Commercial
   
   
5. Tuticorin Airport:
   Location: Thoothukudi (Tuticorin)
   Flight Destinations: Bangalore, Chennai
   Airport Type: Domestic
   Airport Role: Commercial
   
   
6. Tambaram Air Force Station:
   Location: Tambaram, Chennai
   Airport Type: Defence
   Airport Role: Air Base
   
   
7. Sulur Air Force Base:
   Location: Coimbatore
   Airport Type: Defence
   Airport Role: Air Base
   
   
8. Hosur Aerodrome:
   Location: Hosur
   Services: 'C' checks, 1200 hours inspections, landing and parking services for private aircraft
   Airport Type: Private
   Airport Role: Commercial
   
   
9. INS Rajali Naval Air Station:
   Location: Arakkonam
   Airport Type: Defence
   Airport Role: Air Base
   
   
10. Thanjavur Air Force Station:
    Location: Thanjavur
    Airport Type: Defence
    Airport Role: Air Base

Read here about International Flights from Chennai | Flights from Chennai