EXCLUSIVE: 'CHENNAI'S NEW AIRPORT IS A DISASTER'

INN News Desk

In ordinately delayed and mired in controversies of corruption and poor workmanship, the newly built Chennai domestic airport at a cost of Rs 2, 300 crore revealed its true self on Monday morning - 40 panels of its false ceiling fell off. Fortunately, the shameful incident happened in the wee hours and hence didn’t hurt passengers. Three labourers suffered bruises. 

The new terminal, which was scheduled to open in January 2011, finally became operational last month after considerable delays, cost escalations, controversies and poor quality of construction. The media has reported  serious flaws of an outwardly glitzy glass and steel structure. An unusually steep ramp, a faulty extended runway and creaky infrastructure were among the technical flaws that the media reported. 

Passengers were shocked to see leaky toilets, dripping air-conditioners, chipped tiles, crammed spaces and dusty chairs when it opened. While the swank Delhi and Mumbai airports were built by private companies, the Airport Authority of India curiously fought privatisation in Chennai and chose to build it itself through a consortium. So far, the AAI’s solution has been to dismiss the allegations and media reports through technical explanations. 

The new international terminal is yet to open. Apparently, it will miss a revised mid-May deadline because of a total lack of facilities and supporting infrastructure. Here are some images of a “world-class” airport built with tax payers’ money.