Chennai airport’s domestic terminal lounge needs expansion, say passengers

Chennai airport needs to expand lounge facilities to meet growing needs of domestic passengers. Many end up waiting in long queues due to overcrowding. Airports Authority of India (AAI) to resolve issue with new terminal (T4) with lounge facility for Air India, Air Asia and Visatara. Expansion needed to reduce crowding, ensure passengers don't wait to use lounge.

At a time when a large number of domestic air passengers are flying out of Chennai airport and modernisation work is underway, the lounge at the domestic terminal needs to be expanded too to meet growing needs, air passengers say.

Many passengers often spend time a significant amount of in the lounge, to relax and perhaps get something to eat. Some passengers say however, that those wishing to use the lounge facility at Chennai airport end up waiting in long queues, as it is crowded on many occasions.

K. Karthik, a flyer based out of Chennai said domestic passengers do not have much time before boarding a flight and so, should not be made to wait to use the lounge. “Since the number of passengers flying and those using the lounge too, has gone up in recent times, it would be ideal if the authorities could expand the lounge facilities to accommodate more flyers,” he said.

On social media platforms like Twitter too, passengers have posted about this issue. Tinu Cherian Abraham, a passenger posted: “After waiting for 10-15 min and still a long way to the front of the queue of Travel Lounge, we are told there is ‘no place inside’. @aaichnairport.You should have premium lounges apart from regular lounge like in Bengaluru. Credit card companies have oversold lounge feature.”

Officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said the issue would be resolved soon when the second domestic terminal (T4 terminal) becomes functional shortly. Airlines like Air India, Air Asia and Visatara will soon shift to this terminal. “The second domestic terminal too will have a lounge facility for these airlines. So, the crowding and congestion will drastically reduce since there will be two lounges operational for passengers. There will not be any inconvenience when we launch this new facility,” an official said.