Chennai Airport

Used the airport on January 8 2015 as part of my transit to Delhi. Had extended stay there as my connection missed and needless I say the experience was nice and better than what it was when I used in four years back. The new terminal is excellent well stocked and surprisingly clean than many similar Indian Airports. The only problem encountered was the security which is still slow and tacky to negotiate.

The old airport is of a very low standard without any facilities. Toilets are not clean and smell. The newly constructed International terminal looks fine from outside. Even though airport may be small facilities and ground staff are the parameters which make an airport among one of the best.

I flew in to Chennai airport from Sydney recently along with my Australian colleague. The first impression of the new airport is still disappointing with the promised changes not being seen anywhere. With the travelators not working its a long walk to the immigration counters. I had a quick passage through the immigration whilst my Australian colleague didn't have too much luck. The Malaysian airlines stewardess didn't provide him with the immigration card. He was asked to fill it in at the immigration counter which was fine. The immigration official was insistent on exactly knowing the address of the hotel where he was going to stay. The officials tone and tenor was disappointing. This is definitely not the way for the immigration officials to conduct themselves. Overall Chennai airport is a huge disappointment.

Passed through MAA three times - once in transit one arrival and one departure. This airport should be avoided if you have any choice or option. Arrival was at 3am from LHR very long walk to old terminal for immigration although both immigration and baggage were quick and cheerful. Outside the terminal is a complete zoo. No easy public transport. Luckily we had a driver. Transit involved a 4.5 hour change from international to international flight. We were met off the flight by airline staff who did not identify themselves as such until asked then placed in quarantine in a locked area with two other transit passengers. The only facilities were a water fountain and a dirty toilet with no paper. The staff took our passports boarding passes and luggage receipts. To my relief they did come back an hour later with new boarding passes and luggage tags and let us out of the locked area. It did all work in the end - we made our connection and our bags arrived at LHR - it just wasn't very pleasant Facilities at this airport - food shopping wifi toilets and lounges - are all minimal or poor and anywhere from unclean to filthy dirty.

Chennai airport needs to address the following: Cleanliness in the terminal no tissues in the washrooms rusted pipes in the water dispensers open waste bins near the restaurants. Lot of makeshift equipment and ladders placed around. No 'wet floor' sign used when cleaning. The sign board to 'Terminals' is hidden by a Police barricade as you approach the airport from GST road. Commendable part is the immigration which is quick and to the point. Security needs to be more faster or more lanes to be added. More variety in the restaurants is needed. Long wait to travel between domestic and international terminals. I am sure the airport can be made a lot better than what it is now.

The new international terminal that looks grand from outside is badly planned inside. Construction dirt and grime are seen on all white-painted columns and girders. The lounge is located on a higher floor and is accessible only by lift. An escalator would have moved people more conveniently. Anyway the lounge is pathetic compared to the lounges in the old terminal. There is no arrival immigration in the new terminal and passengers are forced to walk some 500 m to the immigration counters in the old terminal. The smelly toilets seem to have been transplanted from the old terminal and are maintained just as filthy. One cannot help comparing this airport to the cleanly maintained private airports at Bangalore and Hyderabad. Wonder when immigration and baggage handling facilities will be available in the new terminal.

I was there a couple of months ago and was shocked to see carpets instead of tiles in the new departure lounge. Needless to say they were badly stained. Everything else was lousy I asked at the book-shop about Indian news- magazines and was snobbishly told that only foreign publications were available. The food and drink available is expensive and awful. Truly a disgusting experience.

The brand new terminal is falling apart. Tiles broken/cracking all over the place. Who was the genius that recommended fabric seats-they are very badly stained. Bathrooms smell and flood all over the place.

This airport is a dump. It's meant to be brand new. There are signs for a food court - no food court just some terrible looking lounge that you can only enter if you have a certain type of Visa card. There used to be one bar but someone in their infinite wisdom decided to shut this down without providing an alternative facility. What sort of person presides over this fiasco of a facility?. It's filthy dirty and the staff have no idea how to deal with customers. Unfortunately as with any airport one doesn't have a choice but to use it. Shame on this airport and the management of it.

Filthy (even the new international terminal) chaotic and certainly not recommended if you can avoid it. The so called business class lounge (La Meridian) is a joke and no matter how much the airlines pay to use it I assure you it is 100% too much. Food is terrible and drinks limited. If you are arriving here try to do it without checked in baggage baggage reclaim can take more than 60 minutes! On the plus side some of the staff I found helpful on the departure side. At all costs avoid.