--- iata: MAA name: Chennai International Airport city: Chennai country: India lastUpdated: '2026-09-07' officialWebsite: 'https://www.chennaiinternationalairport.com/' sources: - 'https://www.chennaiinternationalairport.com/' - 'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chennai_International_Airport' - >- https://sansad.in/getFile/lsapps/loksabhaquestions/annex/188/AU1909_MOu4PE.pdf - >- https://sansad.in/getFile/lsapps/loksabhaquestions/annex/188/AU857_WpiETU.pdf - >- https://newstodaynet.com/2026/05/09/chennai-airport-tops-tn-in-passenger-traffic-for-2025-26/ - 'https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/india/chennai-international' - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/india/chennai-international/maa10-travel-club - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/india/chennai-international/maa6-travel-club - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/india/chennai-international/maa12-travel-club - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/india/chennai-international/maa11-travel-club - >- https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/small-indigo-flights-to-now-depart-from-chennai-airports-terminal-4/article69641404.ece - 'https://chennaimetrorail.org/' - >- https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2026/Jan/08/metro-frequency-on-blue-line-upped-to-curb-rush-in-chennai quickFacts: - >- Chennai International Airport (IATA MAA / ICAO VOMM) sits at Tirusulam in Greater Chennai, roughly 20–21 km southwest of the city centre on the GST / NH32 corridor. Operator and owner is the Airports Authority of India (AAI); the field is also AAI’s southern regional headquarters and the Chennai FIR centre. Passenger site: chennaiinternationalairport.com. Do not confuse MAA with Tambaram Air Force Station or the old Meenambakkam passenger hall (now cargo). - >- Three operational passenger terminals with no sterile airside links: Terminal 1 and Terminal 4 handle domestic traffic; Terminal 2 (new integrated international terminal, partial ops from 7 Jul 2023) handles international traffic. Old Terminal 3 was demolished to expand T2. Always trust the boarding pass — IndiGo ATR domestic banks have used T4 for departures while still arriving into T1, and Air India / Air India Express domestic often sit at T4. - >- Traffic: AAI / Lok Sabha annex FY2025–26 (Apr 2025–Mar 2026) 23,017,324 passengers (+2.7% YoY vs 22,411,290), 158,702 aircraft movements (+1.6%), and Wikipedia/AAI freight table 422,515.9 tonnes cargo (+11.4%). Fifth-busiest Indian passenger airport on recent MoCA rankings. Prefer AAI annex / Parliamentary answers over older “22M” FY24–25 blurbs. - >- Dual asphalt runways 07/25 (~3,661 m primary) and 12/30 (~2,890 m secondary, bridge over the Adyar); elev ~16 m / 52 ft. CAT-I ILS only — not CAT-III — so low-visibility and Northeast-monsoon weather still bite. Phase-I New Integrated Terminal raised design capacity toward ~30 MPPA; Phase-II T2 expansion targeting ~35 MPPA had a revised completion horizon of Dec 2026 in the Jul 2026 Lok Sabha reply. - >- Ground: Chennai Metro Blue Line Airport station links the campus (Entrance B toward terminals / Aero Hub); published Airport→Central token fare commonly ₹40 / digital QR or NCMC often ₹32 (confirm CMRL app). Tirusulam suburban railway station is integrated nearby. Ola/Uber and prepaid taxis on GST Road. Free landside shuttle between T1/T4 and T2 when you transfer terminals. - >- Lounges (live Priority Pass directory Sep 2026): four Travel Club experiences — two at Terminal 1 (Gate 1 / Gate 5, 3rd floor), one at Terminal 4 opposite Gate 17, and one at Terminal 2 international (3rd floor post-immigration). Airline-only Air India Maharaja products exist for entitled AI passengers — confirm the live AI airport page for domestic T4 vs international T2 desks. No IndiGo Bluebird at MAA. bentoTips: - label: Timing title: Budget GST traffic plus the wrong-terminal tax detail: >- Tirusulam sits ~20–21 km southwest of central Chennai. Off-peak taxis can do ~35–50 minutes; weekday GST / Kathipara crush routinely stretches past 60–90+ minutes. Domestic check-in still wants you ~90–120 minutes early; long-haul international banks want a full ~3 hours. Same-day T2↔T1/T4 connections need immigration/bag claim when applicable, the free landside shuttle, and full re-security — treat 2.5–3+ hours as the realistic floor on separate tickets. summary: >- Leave early for peak GST Road; international wants ~3 hours; domestic banks still need ~90–120 minutes once you are at the correct building. category: timing - label: Terminal title: T1 + T4 = domestic; T2 = international — ignore stale T3/T4 maps detail: >- AAI/Wikipedia: Terminals 1 and 4 are domestic; Terminal 2 is the international building that replaced older T2/T3 shells. Blogs that still call T4 “Kamarajar international” or send Gulf flights to T4 are stale. IndiGo domestic usually T1 (some ATR departures have used T4); Air India / Air India Express domestic often T4; every international carrier + IndiGo international = T2. Free landside shuttle only — no sterile walk. summary: >- All international ops use T2; domestic splits across T1 and T4 by airline and aircraft type — read the boarding pass, not a 2022 blog. category: terminal - label: Food title: Use Travel Club before random airside QSR markup detail: >- T2’s newer international airside has broader F&B and duty-free than the older domestic halls, but peak Gulf/Singapore evening banks still pack the QSRs. Live PP lists four Travel Club rooms (T1×2, T4, T2) with mid-3s to low-4s ratings and hard stay caps (2–3h). Alcohol is often extra payment on PP facility lists — ask before the desk scans. Landside sealed snacks before security remain the honest cheap backup. summary: >- Priority Pass / Dreamfolks / premium-card holders usually eat better value inside Travel Club than buying à la carte deep airside. category: food - label: Status title: CAT-I + Adyar floodplain — weather still owns the timetable detail: >- MAA lacks CAT-III ILS, so fog and heavy rain still force diversions and ground stops more often than at dual-CAT-III peers. Dec 2015 Adyar flooding closed the airport for roughly a week — the secondary runway still bridges the river. Cyclone and NE monsoon weeks (roughly Oct–Dec) are the reliability tax; evening Gulf banks cascade when inbounds stack. Prefer earlier daytime connections when the forecast looks ugly. summary: >- Dual runways help capacity, but CAT-I-only ops and Northeast monsoon / flood history make weather the soft spot. category: status lounges: - name: Travel Club Terminal 1 (Gate 1) zone: >- Airside domestic departures — after security turn right toward Gate 1; lounge on the 3rd floor (Priority Pass maa10). hours: '00:00-23:59' access: - Priority Pass / LoungeKey / DragonPass (confirm live PP listing) - Dreamfolks / Indian premium credit-card programmes (confirm issuer) - >- Walk-in paid (confirm desk — commonly cited ~₹2,500–3,500 band on aggregator day-pass sites) bestFor: - T1 domestic IndiGo / SpiceJet / Akasa departures - Priority Pass holders on domestic T1 near Gate 1 summary: >- The Gate-1 Travel Club is the default T1 soft product on live Priority Pass (~3.6/5, 1,000+ reviews) with a published 3-hour max stay — crowded on weekday morning DEL/BOM banks but still the honest PP play if your boarding pass says T1 Gate 1 side. verdict: worth-it terminal: Terminal 1 amenities: - Hot / cold buffet (confirm day-of) - Alcohol (standard — often extra payment on PP conditions) - Wi-Fi / flight information - Air conditioning / accessible access - Separate smoking area outside the lounge - name: Travel Club Terminal 1 (Gate 5) zone: >- Airside domestic Security Hold Area — opposite Gate 5, 3rd floor via lift (Priority Pass maa6). hours: '00:00-23:59' access: - Priority Pass / LoungeKey / DragonPass (confirm live) - Dreamfolks / premium Indian cards (confirm issuer) - Walk-in paid (confirm desk) bestFor: - T1 domestic departures gated toward Gate 5 - Overflow when the Gate 1 Travel Club is full summary: >- Second T1 Travel Club on the live PP directory (~3.5/5) with the same 00:00–23:59 hours and 3-hour max stay — use the lounge that matches your gate cluster rather than hiking the entire SHA. verdict: worth-it terminal: Terminal 1 amenities: - Buffet / soft seating (confirm day-of) - Alcohol (standard — often extra payment on PP) - Wi-Fi / flight information - Air conditioning / accessible access - name: Travel Club Terminal 4 zone: >- Airside domestic Security Hold Area opposite Gate 17 (Priority Pass maa12). hours: '00:00-23:59' access: - Priority Pass / LoungeKey / DragonPass (confirm live) - Dreamfolks / premium Indian cards (confirm issuer) - Walk-in paid (confirm desk) bestFor: - Air India / Air India Express domestic T4 departures - IndiGo ATR domestic departures when assigned to T4 summary: >- Highest-rated Travel Club on the live MAA PP page (~4.1/5) opposite Gate 17 — but children are not admitted and max stay is only 2 hours, so families and long domestic waits need a different plan. verdict: worth-it terminal: Terminal 4 amenities: - Buffet / soft seating - Alcohol (standard — often extra payment on PP) - Wi-Fi / flight information - Air conditioning / accessible access - name: Travel Club Terminal 2 (International) zone: >- Airside international departures — post immigration and security, 3rd floor (Priority Pass maa11). hours: '00:00-23:59' access: - Priority Pass / LoungeKey / DragonPass (confirm live) - Dreamfolks / premium Indian cards (confirm issuer) - Walk-in paid (confirm desk) bestFor: - Gulf / Singapore / Europe evening banks from T2 - Priority Pass holders after passport control summary: >- The international Travel Club (~3.9/5, 1,000+ reviews) is the PP soft room after CIQ — PP page language currently mixes a 3-hour stay note with a 2-hour max-stay line, so confirm the app before you settle in for a long layover. verdict: worth-it terminal: Terminal 2 amenities: - Buffet / soft seating - >- Alcohol (standard complimentary on PP list; premium brands often extra payment) - Wi-Fi / flight information - Air conditioning / accessible access - Smart casual dress expected - name: Air India Maharaja Lounge zone: >- Airline-entitlement lounge for Air India cabin / Maharaja Club / eligible Star Alliance Gold — aggregator pages still disagree on exact post-T2 door pins; confirm the live Air India MAA airport page on the travel day. hours: >- Confirm airline — aggregator pages historically cite roughly 04:00-22:00 bands access: - Air India First / Business cabin entitlement - Maharaja Club elite tiers (confirm current benefits chart) - Eligible Star Alliance Gold on qualifying metal (confirm desk) - Not Priority Pass bestFor: - Air India cabin / elite passengers only summary: >- Useful if your ticket already unlocks Maharaja access, but it is not a Priority Pass substitute — and several unofficial “Gate 14 / Terminal 4 international” pins are leftovers from the pre-T2 map, so verify the desk against your boarding pass terminal. verdict: depends terminal: >- Confirm airline app (typically T4 domestic / T2 international entitlement desks) amenities: - Buffet / soft seating - Wi-Fi / flight information - Alcohol often charged separately waterOptions: - kind: purchase name: Landside sealed retail water zone: landside price: Commonly ~₹20–40 for 500ml–1L PET (confirm shelf tag) summary: >- Cheapest honest bottle before security — buy here, empty if needed for screening, then refill or buy airside only if you must. location: >- Convenience kiosks and café counters in the public check-in halls before CISF security terminal: Terminal 1 / Terminal 4 / Terminal 2 check-in halls isBestValue: true - kind: purchase name: Airside retail water zone: airside price: Marked-up PET — often ~₹40–80+ (confirm shelf) summary: >- Backup once you are past CIQ; expect airport markup versus the landside kiosk. location: Duty-free / QSR corridor after immigration toward the gate hold terminal: Terminal 2 international airside - kind: purchase name: Travel Club lounge drinks zone: airside price: Included with accepted lounge entitlement (alcohol often extra on PP) summary: >- Best quality hydration if you already have PP / card access — not a public fountain substitute. location: >- Inside the Priority Pass Travel Club after the desk scan — soft drinks / water with entitlement terminal: Matching Travel Club (T1 / T4 / T2) isBestQuality: true - kind: refill name: Carry-empty then buy/refill opportunistically zone: airside summary: >- MAA does not publish a dense bottle-filler map — treat empty-through-security plus a landside purchase as the reliable plan. location: >- Pass empty bottle through CISF, then use café courtesy fills or buy sealed PET near your gate cluster terminal: All terminals airportistScore: 6.5 slug: maa region: Asia-Pacific --- > Markdown for [/airports/maa](/airports/maa). Append `.md` to any page URL (or send `Accept: text/markdown`) for an agent-readable copy. - [HTML page](/airports/maa) - [Lounge directory](/airports/maa/lounges.md) - [Sitemap](/sitemap.md) # Chennai International Airport (MAA) Chennai, India · Asia-Pacific MAA pairs genuine metro access and dense Travel Club Priority Pass coverage with a three-terminal domestic/international split and CAT-I weather fragility — easy ground access, fiddly airside. ## Airportist Score **6.5 / 10** Weighted sum of the six published categories (no holistic fudge). - Ease of use (25%): 6.4 — Wayfinding, security wait, and layout. - Comfort & amenities (20%): 6.2 — Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet. - Food & retail (15%): 6.0 — Food and retail quality and variety. - Ground access (15%): 8.5 — Transit, taxi, and parking to the city. - Reliability (15%): 5.8 — Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience. - Lounges (10%): 6.2 — Worth-it density and access quality. ## At a glance - Passengers: 23.0M (FY2025–26) - Terminals: 3 passenger terminals (T1+T4 domestic, T2 international) - Typical security: 25 min - On-time: 72% - Disruption: minor ## Best for - Travelers who can use Chennai Metro Blue Line with manageable bags - Priority Pass holders who want a Travel Club in every terminal cluster - South India domestic connectors who verify T1 vs T4 before drop-off - International passengers using the newer T2 hall ## Watch out for - T1 vs T4 domestic confusion and stale T4-international blogs - CAT-I-only ops in fog / Northeast monsoon weeks - No sterile domestic↔international transfer - T4 Travel Club no-children + 2-hour cap ## More intel - [Lounge directory](/airports/maa/lounges.md) (free) - [Getting there](/airports/maa/getting-there.md) (free) - [Amenities](/airports/maa/amenities.md) - [Traveler tips](/airports/maa/tips.md) - [Water](/airports/maa/water.md) - [Full guide](/airports/maa/guide.md) - [Disruptions](/airports/maa/disruptions.md) - [Reviews](/airports/maa/reviews.md)