CHENNAI: While the Chennai airport's Anna International Terminal has registered a passenger traffic growth of 8.6 per cent in 2005-06, the Kamaraj Domestic Terminal has recorded an impressive 29.1 per cent growth.

"The Airports Authority of India is not only gearing its machinery to handle the increase in passenger traffic and aircraft movement, but also striving, within the constraints, to make the gateway as a hub and user-friendly terminal," said Chennai Airport Director Dinesh Kumar said.

The Anna terminal handled 70 flights daily and the Kamaraj terminal registered 152 services.

Mr. Kumar said the Kamaraj terminal handled over 3.2 million passengers and the Anna terminal 2.4 million globetrotters during 2004-05. But, during 2005-06, the Anna terminal handled 2.6 million passengers, recording an 8.6 per cent increase and the Kamaraj terminal handled 4.2 million passengers, recording a whopping 29.1 per cent jump, thanks to the sudden influx of passengers and airlines, mostly low-cost carriers.

With the Anna terminal having registered a 16.8 per cent growth in the aircraft movement in 2005-06 and the Kamaraj terminal 11.1 per cent, the AAI has drawn up short and long-term plans to meet the air travel growth.

Mr. Dinesh Kumar said that in view of the impressive growth in domestic flights, work was on to add 770 square metre area to cater for the passenger traffic. In the Anna terminal, over 12,000 square metre area was being added in two floors, besides three new conveyor belts and 16 additional customs and immigration counters.

The Chennai airport had 37 parking bays, including the mega slot to accommodate Airbus-380 (Superjumbos).

Nineteen more bays would be created; work on four of them was in progress, and they would be commissioned by September. The other bays would be ready by the year-end.

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