FAMILIAR SIGHT: An overcrowded corridor leading to Anna International terminal. — File Photo: M. Moorthy

CHENNAI: The Anna International Terminal (AIT) in Chennai will be among the 11 identified gateways to have the "automated machine baggage clearance system" soon.

It will help to ease the congestion in the main passenger concourse area.

Giving details of upgradation plans, the Chennai Airport Director, H.S. Bains, said global tenders had been floated for speedy implementation of the modern "In Line" system.

Under the system, airline check-in staff would do the first level of baggage scanning at the touch of a button, followed by joint supervision by airline security and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

To reduce space constraints in the departure hall, Mr. Bains said steps were under way to shift immigration counters to the upper level and move the six baggage scanning machines to a suitable area to facilitate free passenger movement.

Mr. Bains said AIT registered a 16 per cent growth in 2004-05 by handling 2.4 million passengers and a 28 per cent increase in domestic traffic by handling 3.2 million passengers in the Kamaraj Domestic Terminal (KDT). The AIT now catered to 17 airlines and five operators fly out of the KDT.

With Mumbai and New Delhi airports already facing congestion, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) was encouraging new operators. Belgian Airlines, Etihad Airlines, the KLM Royal Dutch Airlines formally approached the Chennai airport authorities for introducing direct flights out of AIT. And in the domestic sector, Go, Kingfisher, Spice Jet, and Paramount were some of the new players waiting to spread their wings out of the KDT.

The AAI requested the Union Defence Ministry to handover 19.23 acre vacant land adjacent to the present AIT to help improve the apron, taxiways, car parking area and parking bays. Chennai Airport would be one of the first airports to be declared fit to handle the 550-plus seater Airbus-380, creating an exclusive parking bay.

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