Chennai: Passengers exiting Chennai International Airport can now use the new plaza and adjoining cab pick-up point, almost a year after the construction was completed. On Sunday, Union civil aviation minister K Ram Mohan Naidu will virtually inaugurate the facility.Located about 30m from Terminal 1 (T1), the plaza will let passengers board cabs closer to the terminal, instead of taking a detour to the multi-level car park.Airport officials said 28 cabs can pick up passengers at a time from two dedicated bays, while a third bay will cater to vehicles exiting the airport. The facility is expected to handle at least 5,000 cab trips a day.Cab operations at the new pick-up point will be introduced in phases. Ola, Uber and Rapido vehicles will be allowed in the first phase. Airport authorities will assess traffic congestion before permitting other cab aggregators and black-and-yellow taxis.Cabs will continue to pick up passengers from the west multi-level car park, which is closer to the T4 domestic and T2 international terminals. Buggies will be operated from T4, via T2, to T1 for passengers who choose to use the plaza cab facility.The plaza has seating for 150 passengers and is equipped with covered roofing, drinking-water facilities, a Flight Information Display System (FIDS) and other passenger amenities, an official said.Although completed in Dec 2025, the plaza was not opened earlier because of legal complications involving the airport’s previous parking contractor.Airport officials said 105 passenger-guidance personnel would be deployed at terminals shortly, while 18 traffic marshals would regulate vehicle movement.
