Chennai Airport

We have gone through Chennai Airport recently in 2006 and again just a few weeks ago. Even last year the airport was better than I had expected. This year the improvements to the International Terminal main hall are immense more seating gleaming floors and it seemed slightly less chaotic than our previous transit through it. Tea coffee cold drinks and snacks are available and the facilities are clean enough. Even the arrival and baggage collection on our inbound sector was fine. Despite the fact that the A/C isn't up and running yet I would certainly have Chennai as my airport of choice for entering/leaving India.

With major renovation works almost complete MAA is now more convenient particularly for domestic travellers. There are now two separate check- in areas for all domestic carriers as opposed to only one previously (which was always overcrowded). So checking-in (and particularly baggage screening) is less stressful. Also: new are separate airline lounges but I am not sure whether they are a real improvement. For one the combined Paramount/Sahara lounge does not serve any beer whereas the airport restaurant does. Second all the new lounges lack windows - the airport restaurant offers a spectacular view across the tarmac and runways. Security uncrowded despite my flight departing at 18.50. I checked the prices at the refreshment stand in the departure lounge and the prices are effectively daylight robbery (Rs 60 for a can of Coke). Still a lack of airbridges and most domestic pax have to be taken by bus. At Madras as at most Indian airports there seems to be a competition among airlines as to who can offer the most inaccessible airport bus - with some having you negotiate 4 steps to get on and off. Underslung bus chassis have been around since before WWII so what happened?

Not a bad little airport. Always a scrum before check-in unless you are travelling in business class but generally ok facilities and duty free a bit sparse but fairly clean.

I arrived late at night and had an early morning flight to Hyderabad so had to spend the night in the Domestic terminal. Airport itself is quite clean compared to others in India. Airconditioning ineffective so the airport itself was very humid. There seems to be a real mosquito problem in this airport. Overall it was clean security is a joke. Not too many shopping options or food options but tea and coffee as well as candy are available. There is a full time restaurant on the 2nd floor although I didn't try it out. International arrivals hall is surprisingly clean - okay airport for Indian standards.

Chennai airport is superior to the other Indian international terminals namely Delhi Mumbai and Hyderabad. You have to wait to get in through the front doors but it's usually in the 15-20 minute range as opposed to the nearly one hour cattle stampede I had to deal with in Hyderabad. I wouldn't call the ground crews friendly but they are reasonably efficient and the majority of the flights leave on time. Security and immigration queues are long but not unbearable and definitely shorter than what you have to deal with in Delhi or Mumbai. The A/C doesn't work great but I haven't found an airport in India where it actually does. Overall not great but a tolerable experience.

It's not that bad. Look for the "retiring rooms" bookable with the airport manager at the domestic terminal 900 rupees or 650 for a family. If your flight doesn't leave until some unearthly hour use this facility. HBO on the TV 2 beds fridge air con. Hot shower. Don't want to spend money go to the flight viewing deck on the 2nd floor. It's got a cafeteria cooling fans reasonably quiet seating cleaner toilets if you use the ones down the airlines office block on this floor.

We travelled through Chennai on 5 August arriving from Mumbai connecting to Columbo on Jet Airways. Incoming flight was delayed and I cannot praise the Jet Airways groundstaff who ensured we met our connection enough. They seperated our luggage out personally escorted us through every stage of the transit and escorted is on to the plane. Everything is relative after the horrors of Mumbai airport I found Chennai airport clean and efficient.

I often use Madras for international travel as it has better and more frequent connections than Bangalore. In comparison I agree that it is one of the better airports in India particularly the international building. It is reasonably spacious given the passenger numbers and never as chaotic as for instance Delhi. The airline lounges are definitely better in Madras than elsewhere in India. What is frustrating is the basic "Indian" layout of having the departure gates separated from the airbridges by a common corridor also used for arrivals so you often find your boarding procedure interrupted by inbound passengers flowing past the door of your boarding gate. This morning I arrived from CMB at 9.05 a.m. passed immigration customs and was in time to check in for a 10.05 a.m. Jet Airways flight at the domestic terminal. Hard to beat!

I fully agree with the comment from Warren Ezequiel. I couldn't believe such a long delay on immigration. The general hygiene is poor but the the toilets are the worst!!! If the local goverment wants to bring more tourist to Tamil Nadu they should think seriosly about improving the airport image since this is the gate to the country.

I have travelled through Chennai airport on several occasions in the last 3 years and have found it to be best in India so I am surprised by many of the comments. International arrivals and baggage claim facilities though primitive are a vast improvement on other airports in the country. On recent trips with LH GF and BA we were through immigration and had collected our baggage within 30mins of arrival; far quicker than at my usual LHR base. Obviously the facilities are lacking and the security formalities on departure take far longer than they should due to the self importance nature of the Indian bureaucratic process but things are definitely moving in the right direction. The domestic terminal is also very pleasant and if your flight departs using one of the aerobridges the upstairs lounge is very peaceful with light music and TV screens showing sporting events from around the world.