Borders have opened up again, and restrictions on global movement of people have eased; as a result, travellers are returning to airports, ready to pay increasing fares and take to the skies. As the travel rebound makes headway and with India being ranked among the top 50 air travel markets by International Air Transport Association (IATA), the need to expand and be primed to handle massive passenger loads has never been as pressing as it is now.
Chennai’s air traffic, in terms of number, may be far behind other airports such as Delhi, Mumbai or Bengaluru. But to handle its own rising passenger load, a lot needs to be done.
In May, the airport recorded a 19.2% jump in passenger volume, compared with April. The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA), a consultancy firm, had said the airport recovered nearly 75% of the May, 2019 passenger traffic; this may increase substantially in the coming months too. But the existing terminals are crammed with passengers even as the air traffic is yet to cross the pre-pandemic levels.
