The modernised Chennai airport is ready for inauguration. Official sources told Business Line that a communication will soon be sent to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, seeking time from him to inaugurate the airport anytime after August 1.
Reasons
Conceding that the project had been delayed, the officials said that the initial target of completing the project in 24 months was very ambitious.
Among the reasons cited for the delay are the Centre taking over a year to give permission to a Chinese company from where the aerobridges were to be procured and the delay in the Army vacating land at the airport.
“All these are issues of the past. The Chairman, Airports Authority of India, inspected the modernised building this week and now it is ready to be opened,” a senior official said.
The Centre had, in April 2007, decided to upgrade Chennai airport to international standards.
The AAI had developed the master plan and design of the terminal through global architectural design competition. An inter-ministerial group had approved these plans, which focused on enhancing the runway capacity, apron capacity and the capacity of terminal buildings.
The project was sanctioned in August 2008 at an initial cost of Rs 1,808 crore, which was later revised to Rs 2,015 crore. The project consists of construction of a new domestic terminal building, extension of the existing Anna international terminal and the secondary runway across the Adyar River.
After completion of the work, passenger handling capacity at Chennai will increase from 9 million to 23 million.
Keywords: Modernised Chennai airport, ready, inauguration,
Comments:
The question is how much more and for how long can this modernization cope. Sadly, the
Planners in India are so short sighted and tight fisted that most expansions become
curiosity objects. Barring New Delhi airport most metro terminals are barely adequate with
India's GDP likely to average 8 percent in the coming years.
None of our roads can take the load with the boom in trucking of all sizes and shapes.
Waterways is totally a dream. Imagine boarding a flight in Bandra or worli to go to Pune or
Vadodra. Why can't this happen. May be politicians do not find much in these projects to
get a decent lining of pockets.
Why should the PM inaugurate the done up airport. It is like someone wearing an altered
suit and gloating about it's newness.
The question is how much more and for how long can this modernization cope. Sadly, the
Planners in India are so short sighted and tight fisted that most expansions become
curiosity objects. Barring New Delhi airport most metro terminals are barely adequate with
India's GDP likely to average 8 percent in the coming years.
None of our roads can take the load with the boom in trucking of all sizes and shapes.
Waterways is totally a dream. Imagine boarding a flight in Bandra or worli to go to Pune or
Vadodra. Why can't this happen. May be politicians do not find much in these projects to
get a decent lining of pockets.
Why should the PM inaugurate the done up airport. It is like someone wearing an altered
suit and gloating about it's newness.
Is there a PM in our country.. I thought we have only a doll with a key being given by someone else..
So, it doesn't really matter.
Dear Mr. PM... Please be a "PM"
I would have boarded from and landed at Chennai Airport many times since 1976.The traffic has multiplied 100 times,aircraft many fold and except for the tragic accident when Kumaramangalam departed us Chennai airport always fascinated me for it's courteous staff.But for the taxi stands and congested arrival ,the airport is a miniature India with jostling men and women speaking different languages and wearing different costumes.The
Higgin both am book stall,Krishna sweets,the way side eateries and awaiting relatives with
anxious faces,Chennai Airport presents all about India and Madras in particular.In 1976 I
travelled in propelled aircraft and yesterday I landed in A 320 from Delhi at 11.30 pm.The
flying middle class has scaled up,executives and IT professionals booming in
numbers,Chennai has become an Air destination.Jawahar Lal Nehru,Indira
Gandhi,Kamaraj,Subramaniam,Rajagopalachari and a host of national leaders have used
this airport.I salute all who made the modern airport.
PM to inaugurate a larger building !... Look at the airport in chennai and compare that with new terminal
in delhi...chennai airport looks like a busstand. and this took 4 years
to build !
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