Chennai Airport’s T3 Terminal Demolition Begins as Part of Modernization Project
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has initiated the demolition of the T3 terminal at Chennai Airport as part of the phase II modernization project costing ₹2,467 crore. While a portion of the new integrated terminal has recently become operational, the modernization work will continue until late 2024 or early 2025 when the entire terminal is expected to be completed.
The demolition of the T3 terminal is set to take approximately three more months, after which construction of the remaining half of the integrated building will resume and is expected to take another year and a half. AAI had initially planned to open the second domestic terminal, T4, on October 29, in an effort to alleviate peak-hour congestion; however, sources suggest this opening might be delayed until mid-November.
The relocation of domestic flights from T1 to T4, including those operated by Air India, Vistara, and Air Asia, is expected to help reduce congestion, particularly at security checkpoints, at the bustling airport that handled 16.98 lakh passengers last month, with 12.36 lakh in the domestic sector.
