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Touch and go

It was well past midnight. Yet, people talked loudly, laughed loudly. There can be only few places in Chennai where this happens - one such place is the airport.

The airport is a special place in a city. It is the first thing that travellers from other countries see, thus making it very important to view the city in the right perspective. The Chennai airport, tucked away in the outskirts of the city, is a place abuzz with activity, 24 hours a day.

The airport is a consorture of emotions - the departure terminal witnesses emotional moments, sad ones, those of separation, of sadness, of longing in the heart. Heart-touching scenes of mother-child hugging, boyfriend-girlfriend kissing, brother-sister handshaking can be seen often. Ah, the painful period of separation. There isn't anything as painful as separation, indeed.

In total contrast is the arrival terminal - it is the place where people come together after a long time. There is delight, joy, happiness. Heart-warming scenes of mother-child hugging after a long time, boyfriend-girlfriend kissing after a long time, brother-sister shaking hands after a long time can be seen here often. Ah, the happy hours in re-uniting. There isn't anything as happy as re-uniting, indeed.

One thing here is important - these scenes cannot be seen often in airports abroad. That is because very few people come to India to actually settle down. Indians settling abroad is high. And that is the reason why airports in India (read Chennai), especially the international terminals, witness heart-touching, heart-warming, gut-wrenching and soul-shattering scenes.

The youth here in Chennai have made a mark in the international scenario, they have made their journey from Mandaveli to Michigan, from T Nagar to Texas, an eventful and rewarding one. So, the airport - where they sorrowfully break away from their parents and loved ones, only to joyfully join them some years afterwards - is something more than just a place of planes.

To them, the airport holds a special place - one where they saw their loved ones last on departure, one where they saw their loved ones first on arrival. To them, the airport is a place that breaks the heart, then re-joins it, something more than just planes, cumbersome customs and awesome airhostesses.

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Some info I picked up from the Net:

• Link: http://www.airportsindia.org.in/aai/chennai-airport/

• First International Airport to get ISO-9001-2000 Certification

• 1st to have international & domestic terminals adjacent to each other

• 1st to have aerobridge at domestic terminal

• 1st to use domestic terminal for international flight on wheels

• 1st to supply free mineral water through designated water coolers at Kamaraj Domestic Terminal & Anna International Terminal.

• 1st to introduce paper cups at the airport to make it environment-friendly.

• Exclusive suburban airport railway station airport

• Adjudged 'Best Airport - Domestic Terminal' by Indian Guild of Professional Architects. The President of India gave the award.

Srinivasa Ramanujam
Published on 19^th Feb, 2004

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