The new domestic and international terminals at the Chennai airport were opened for public use by Vice-President Hamid Ansari. The Airport Authority of India (AAI) built the terminals at a cost of Rs 2,000-crore to enhance capacity. The existing terminals had a capacity to handle six million domestic and three million international passengers. With the expansion, the new international and domestic terminals could handle an additional four million international and 10 million domestic passengers per annum.
During the inauguration ceremony, Ansari said the airport was the premier international gateway and air hub for South India, besides being the third biggest airport in the country. The importance of Chennai as a national and international destination was well established.
It attained more importance in view of the country's 'Look East' policy because of which greater economic and commercial integration with the countries of East Asia and South East Asia was taking place at a rapid pace. Consequently, passenger and freight traffic to and from these countries was bound to rise.
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