Demolition of T3 terminal begins at Chennai airport as part of the modernisation project

AAI begins demolition of T3 terminal at Chennai Airport as part of modernisation project. T4 terminal planned to open Oct 29, but may be delayed. Modernisation work to continue till 2024/2025. T4 to reduce rush, shift domestic flights from T1 to reduce congestion.

Airports Authority of India (AAI) has begun pulling down the T3 terminal (the old building which used to handle the international arrival flights) as part of the phase II modernisation work taken up at a cost of ₹2,467 crore.

Meanwhile, AAI officials said they were also planning to open the second domestic terminal (T4) at the airport from October 29, but according to sources, this could get pushed back to mid-November.

Officials of AAI said the modernisation work, which had been underway for a few years at the airport, required the demolition of old terminals and the building of a new integrated terminal. While the modernisation work had been partially completed, and a part of a new integrated terminal had recently become functional, the work would go on till the end of 2024 or early 2025, when the whole of the new integrated terminal would be finished.

“The demolition of the T3 terminal that began a few days will go on for another three months. After this process is over, the contractors will resume building the next half of the new integrated building, which will consume another one and half years,” an official said.

In order to reduce the rush the airport witnesses during peak hours, AAI wanted to operate domestic flights from the T4 terminal. Though officials had earlier said the second terminal would open in July, it was delayed, and the plan was to open it on October 29. But this could be delayed too, according to sources.

The airport handled 16.98 lakh passengers last month, and among them, 12.36 lakh were in the domestic sector. With thousands of passengers using the terminal to fly in early morning flights, there is a need for additional capacity, officials said.

Officials said that when T4 terminal was ready, the domestic flights of Air India, Vistara, and Air Asia flights would shift from T1 to T4 and this would decrease the congestion, especially at the security check point.