Chennai airport handles all of the city’s flights, and that will not change for many years. The Tamil Nadu government has dropped the planned second airport at Parandur. Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announced in the Assembly in August 2026 that the project would be abandoned and new sites studied, DT Next reported. Meanwhile the existing airport at Meenambakkam is being expanded with the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
Here is how the airport works today: the terminals, parking charges from this month and the transport links, followed by where the second-airport question stands.
Terminals: which one you need
On its Chennai page, AAI names two terminal buildings, the Kamaraj Domestic Terminal and the Anna International Terminal. Inside these are numbered terminals:
| Terminal | Use |
|---|---|
| T1 | Domestic |
| T4 | Domestic |
| T2 | International (new integrated building) |
The second phase of the new integrated building is still under construction, so walkways and drop-off lanes near the terminals can shift while work goes on. Your boarding pass or airline app shows the terminal, so check it before setting off. Airlines sometimes move between domestic terminals.
For international flights, allow more time than for domestic ones. Security and immigration queues at T2 are longest in the late-night and early-morning departure waves to the Gulf and South-East Asia, and the walk from the car park adds several minutes with luggage.
Getting there and parking
- Metro: Chennai International Airport station on the Blue Line connects to the terminals. The Blue Line runs to Guindy, Saidapet, Anna Salai and Central. To reach the Green Line, change at Alandur.
- Suburban rail: Tirusulam station on the Beach to Chengalpattu line is linked to the metro station and the terminals.
- Feeder buses: MTC small buses run from the airport metro station to Kundrathur (S69) and Tambaram East (S100), according to CMRL’s feeder list.
- Cabs and autos: app cabs and prepaid taxis use the multi-level car parks. Passengers from T2 and T4 board taxis from the ground floor of the West car park.
Parking charges went up on 11 October 2026, DT Next reported. For cars it is now Rs 90 for up to 30 minutes, Rs 115 for up to an hour, Rs 175 for one to two hours and Rs 580 for 10 to 24 hours. Two-wheelers pay Rs 20 for an hour and Rs 105 for a full day. A lost parking ticket costs an extra Rs 580 for a car. The 10-minute free window for private cars picking up or dropping passengers continues, as does the one for taxis dropping off. Stay longer and the normal tariff applies.
Passengers have complained that the lifts in the East car park are cramped. AAI has replied that the lifts there carry 15 to 29 people each and are comparable to those in the West block, DT Next reported.
Expanding Meenambakkam: Terminal 5
When he dropped Parandur, the Chief Minister set out the plan for the existing airport. He said it currently handles about 3 crore passengers a year and will reach 3.5 crore when the terminal now under construction opens. A fifth terminal on the north-western side would add capacity for 2 crore more, taking the total to about 5.5 crore a year, with new roads and flyovers for access. The state is carrying out this work with AAI. A state minister said the Centre has approved Terminal 5 along with a bypass road, DT Next reported. No construction timeline has been published.
Parandur: where things stand in 2026
The previous government chose Parandur in Kancheepuram district in 2022 for a greenfield airport spread over about 5,000 acres in 13 villages. Villagers protested for years against losing farmland and water bodies. After the change of government, the Chief Minister said in the Assembly that the steps already taken would be abandoned, as promised. He added that Chennai still needs a second airport and that expert teams would study other sites with little impact on farmland and homes. No new site has been named.
About 1,700 acres had already been acquired and compensation paid. The government will not reverse the acquisition, and the Industries department is looking at agro-processing, non-hazardous industry or a SIPCOT estate on that land, DT Next reported. The DMK’s Thangam Thennarasu has defended the original choice, saying AAI picked the site to keep displacement low and to avoid the Tambaram air base.
Quick answers
Is the Parandur airport cancelled?
Yes. The state government announced in August 2026 that it is dropping Parandur and will study other sites for Chennai’s second airport.
Which terminal is international at Chennai airport?
Terminal 2, the new integrated building. T1 and T4 handle domestic flights.
How much is car parking at Chennai airport now?
From 11 October 2026, Rs 90 for up to 30 minutes and Rs 115 for up to an hour, with a 10-minute free window for private pick-up and drop-off.
Airport contacts, lost and found and the AirSewa grievance link are on AAI’s Chennai airport page.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Chennai Airport (Airports Authority of India)
- Feeder Service (CMRL)
- Pay more for parking at Chennai airport (DT Next)
- AAI defends lift capacity at Chennai airport’s multi-level parking (DT Next)
- Parandur airport project dropped, alternative sites to be explored, says CM Vijay (DT Next)
- Tamil Nadu govt explores industrial use for 1,700 acres acquired for Parandur airport (DT Next)
- Parandur airport project studied choice, says Thangam; TVK govt unconvinced (DT Next)
