Long-awaited cab pick-up plaza at Chennai airport opened after two-year delay

Lane A and B of the plaza have been earmarked for passenger pick up point while lane C will serve as the exit lane. | Photo Credit: R. Ragu After a two-year wait, the cab pick-up plaza at Chennai airport was thrown open for air passengers on Sunday morning.Minister of Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, who inaugurated the facility virtually, said, the plaza is set to reduce congestion and streamline vehicle movement. “Looking at the significant improvement the facility can bring to passenger convenience, we have decided that its inauguration should not be delayed because of the ongoing BRICS summit,” he said.He was to open the plaza in-person but could not come due to the summit. Developed at a cost of ₹22.88 crore, the plaza is situated nearly 30 metres from the T1 Domestic Terminal and can handle 28 vehicles at a time in two pickup lanes. The plaza has a seating capacity of 150.While lane A and B have been earmarked as passenger pick-up points, lane C will serve as the exit. Initially, Ola, Uber, Rapido, Fastrack, Red Taxi and prepaid taxis will be allowed inside the plaza and eventually, it will be extended to other yellow board vehicles.Mr. Naidu said he was particularly concerned about the experience of the arrival passengers at Chennai airport for some time. “We were getting a lot of feedback, a lot of articles were also there in newspapers [that] passengers with heavy baggage, elderly passengers, families with young children, they had to walk [to] the multi-level car parking, and then [to] the second floor. So, we came up with this solution, which is the dedicated cab pick-up plaza, located 30 metres in front of the terminal. The moment you step out of the terminal, the cab is waiting for you,” he said.Mr. Naidu said as Chennai has grown, so has the pressure of the infrastructure around it. “With Chennai being a space constrained airport and sitting in the heart of the city, and on top of that [there is a] growing passenger footfall. It has presented us with some unique challenges,” he noted.The Minister also said that the T3 Terminal construction is progressing across multiple fronts and will be ready in April 2027. “We are continuously monitoring from the Ministry to ensure this time it is not delayed anymore and gets completed on time,” he assured. The terminal is expected to increase the passenger handling capacity of Chennai airport, from around 20 million passengers to 35 million passengers a year.“Despite several operational constraints, including the presence of operational terminals on either side of the construction site, and disruptions in supply chain due to the West Asia crisis [the delay occurred], a lot of efforts are being put to see that the timelines are being met,” he said.‘T5 in planning stage’Terminal 5 for Chennai airport is now in the planning stage, and the Ministry will engage with the State government to see how to expand the capacity, Mr. Naidu said. Completion of T5 Terminal will take the overall capacity of Chennai airport to approximately 55 million passengers per annum, he added.Some of the early users of the plaza said it was way more convenient than the previous arrangement to go to the parking area.Saji Mathew, who landed from Bengaluru, said he was pleasantly surprised and glad to see the new cab pick-up point. Published - September 14, 2026 05:00 am IST