Prolonged delay hindering Chennai Airport development plan: AAI

Chennai: Airport Authority of India today said the development plan of the Chennai airport including setting up of multi-level car parking and a secondary runway is facing challenges.

Responding to reports appearing in certain section of media on the condition of the premises, Airport Director Deepak Sastri said the issues that were posing a hindrance include delay in privatisation for three years and lack of manpower for operating new international terminal among others.

“The Chennai airport development plan is on hold since 2012. The development plan is incomplete in all spheres — the city side multi-level car parking, modification of old and new terminals and under utilisation of secondary runway for want of additional land from State government”, he said in an official release.

“The new international arrival terminal is still not in use due to inadequate manpower provided by immigration, customs and CISF. Our repeated requests for augmentation in manpower is still pending”, he said.

Airports Council International, which acts as an interface between Governments and International Civil Aviation Organisation, in a study, has given Chennai airport a very good rating.