Passengers travelling to the Chennai airport will soon be able to finish their check-in process and drop off their luggage at select metro stations across the city. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) held discussions with the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) and several airlines to start this facility on trial basis in some stations which have the maximum passengers. The feature is expected to start from March and will be implemented in a full-fledged manner on April 14, The New Indian Express reported. AAI officials believe that introducing this facility will help reduce the time for passengers to complete their check-in process in both domestic and international terminals.
According to The Hindu, AAI officials said that they were considering the possibility of having this facility from the Chennai Central Metro Rail Station and Egmore Metro station and it will be extended to other stations based on demand. Passengers will be able to collect their boarding passes at the metro station itself and can leave their baggage there. They will be able to head for their security check directly once they reach the airport. The Hindu said that airlines like IndiGo, Air India and Vistara are eager to implement this facility. AAI officials also told The Hindu that there will be a feasibility study at the beginning to see how it can be implemented on a larger scale. The officials added that they also need to get some approvals and clearances before this facility can be implemented.
On December 19, the AAI had asked passengers who were flying out of Chennai airport to reach the airport three hours before their flight in order to avoid any delays. People were facing long queues as passenger traffic was increasing to the level of pre-COVID days and more people were travelling for Christmas and New Year holidays. In light of this, the Chennai airport director Sharad Kumar had asked people to reach the airport in advance to avoid congestion.