Chennai Airport can get busy, the terminal layout is temporarily a bit confusing, and it has some quirks that are worth being aware of. But with direct airport metro and rail connections and a new terminal in the works we can look forward to a more streamlined future for the airport, and in the meantime it’s actually not too bad to use.
Navigating Chennai Airport
Chennai Airport technically has four terminals, but only three are currently in operation. Terminals 1 and 4 handle domestic flights, while Terminal 2 handles international service. Terminal 3 is being demolished and an expanded Terminal 2 will take up some of that space. Construction is ongoing and is said to be on course to wrap up by 2026.
Approaching the terminal can get confusing because as of 2023, Air India and Air India Express domestic flights (plus Vistara until they get merged into Air India) use Terminal 4, which is at the far end of the airport complex and best reached on some roads by following signs for the international terminal; and not all information has been updated to reflect this online.
A note about arrivals
Chennai Airport recently switched over to a new system for pickups at arrivals that has pros and cons. Overall I’m in favour of it because it reduces noise and chaos. Here’s how it works: when you step out to the curb, there are almost no vehicles on the road out front. Instead there are buggies waiting to take passengers to another area, centred around a multi-storey car park, where they can catch their rides including cabs and Ubers. You might wait a minute for the buggy to fill up and leave, but it’s pretty effective.
Tip: if you need to change terminals, there are buggies for that too.
Accessing the terminal and security
Like at every other airport in India you’ll need ID and a boarding pass or ticket in order to access your terminal. And in Chennai they have a quirk that I’ve not come across much at other Indian airports: to go through security and to board your aircraft, staff will insist on seeing your ‘sequence number’. That’s a number assigned to you based on when you checked in. The reason that’s important is that some mobile boarding passes like in Apple’s Wallet will not show this. However boarding passes within airline apps usually will, so keep those handy!
DigiYatra and facial recognition
If you travel through Indian airports, including at Chennai, you may notice lanes marked ‘DigiYatra’ for passing through each security check along the way. This is a facial recognition system that greatly speeds up the process but is only open to holders of Indian identity cards at the moment. However they’re beginning to trial this for international flights and the goal is to expand it to those with foreign passports. So if you plan to fly quite a bit around India, watch this space!
Getting to and from the airport
The fact that there is an airport metro station and a rail station connected to the airport really sets Chennai apart from most others in the country. Another perk: the airport is only about 20 minutes from the centre of the city (unlike many Indian airports which are an hour-plus away). And although there is traffic – this is India after all – it’s usually not so bad. That means getting to and from, whether you choose public transport or cab, is pretty painless.
Taxi
Taxis and Ubers are plentiful at Chennai, and I usually opt for Uber because that’s what I’m used to, it works well and it’s affordable. As mentioned you’ll need to take a buggy from arrivals curbside to meet your Uber, but that’s not usually an issue.
Tip: I’ve found that the nicer hotels don’t charge exorbitant rates for pickups here, partly because it’s not so far from town – and it can be a really nice option to have your driver meet you at arrivals and take you through the buggy process. Cars will often be more spacious and comfortable than Ubers, as well.
Train
Airlines & destinations
Tip: Chennai also sees a lot of service to Port Blair in India’s Andaman Islands. These are interesting because they’re much closer to Thailand than India, and offer some pretty unique flora and fauna – as well as beautiful beaches. If you were looking for a less-travelled choice of place to visit in India, you might consider this.
International service
Chennai commands quite a bit of international service – and it could make for a nice entry point to India as opposed to the much larger Delhi and the single-runway (and hence delay-prone) Mumbai. Most of the Middle Eastern carriers are here, some with multiple daily flights like Qatar Airways and Emirates, which make for easy connections from Europe and the US. Air India provides direct service to Dubai. Closer to home, British Airways serves London, and Lufthansa offers Frankfurt.
Food & retail outlets
Chennai has quite a few options for shopping and grabbing a bite or a drink – too many to really list here, and of course it depends on the terminal. Terminal 4 probably has the most limited selection of them all, but you’ll find some things there too. One outlet I’d recommend is Chai Waale in Terminal 1 – if you like chai that is. I’ve yet to meet anyone travelling in India that doesn’t like chai. So if you happen to end up there, make sure to stop by.
Lounges
Airport Wi-Fi
What to do on a layover
Because Chennai Airport is relatively close to the city, and because of the metro service, if you have several hours of a layover here you have a lot of options for things to do. Head into town, check out a temple, go to the beach even.
If you’d like to get great views of the city, consider the St. Thomas Mount church, located on a hill near the airport with a great terrace from which you can gaze out towards the sprawling town and the sea. As a bonus, the aircraft inbound to Chennai will usually glide right past, so if you’re a planespotter, even better.
Airport hotels
There are a number of hotels around the airport but few are memorable or recommendable, if you ask me. However the Trident Hotel can be a good option if you want something close and pretty nice.
As another option: the Collection O Grace Residency is a basic hotel that’s accessible from within the airport on foot, without the need to exit the buildings. It’s relatively cheap, too, so for a blend of convenience and price, it’s a pretty good option.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others.
