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Chennai International Airport (MAA)
Departures from Chennai International Airport (MAA) at a glance
- 130flights a day6th busiest of 98 airports
- 39routes from here
- 4airlines
- 04:55 – 23:15first and last
Collected between 27 September 2026 and 25 October 2026. Not live — check with the airline before booking.
Chennai International Airport (MAA) serves Chennai (formerly Madras) in Tamil Nadu, and is run by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). Air India's airport page says it was originally called Meenambakkam Airport.
The airport has its own metro station, with a suburban railway station a short walk from it. A new taxi and app-cab pick-up plaza near Terminal 1 was reported in September 2026; see Taxis and app cabs below.
Terminals at Chennai International Airport
AAI's airport page describes two terminals: the Kamaraj Domestic Terminal and the Anna International Terminal. AAI's notice of 29 July 2024 also uses terminal numbers, naming Terminals 1, 2 and 4.
Air India's Chennai airport page says all its domestic operations are at Terminal 4, the Kamaraj domestic terminal, and all its international operations at Terminal 2, the Anna international terminal. Its check-in counters are at those two terminals.
That page covers Air India's own flights. If you are flying IndiGo, Akasa Air or Air India Express, check the terminal on your booking or boarding pass before you leave for the airport.
Moving between terminals
Air India says the terminals are joined by a link building with a flyover travelator, and that golf carts carry passengers between terminals. Free battery-operated vehicles and courtesy coaches take transit passengers between the domestic and international terminals. AAI's July 2024 notice also describes an elevated, covered walkalator linking Terminals 1, 2 and 4.
Identity documents and security screening
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) publishes the list of photo identity documents accepted at terminal entry, carried in original with a valid ticket. A passport, Aadhaar or m-Aadhaar, a voter photo identity card and a driving licence are among them, and a passenger on an international flight carries a passport.
The CISF list says an infant or minor travelling with a parent or guardian who holds valid identity proof does not need a separate document, but an unaccompanied minor does. Airlines may ask for more, and foreign nationals should ask their airline which document it accepts for a domestic flight.
In cabin baggage, the CISF restricted-articles list allows liquids, aerosols and gels in containers of up to 100 ml each, packed in one clear, resealable one-litre plastic bag, with medicine or an inhaler accompanied by a prescription, and baby food, as exceptions. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) advises that power banks and spare batteries go in hand baggage only. Check your airline's own rule as well, including any limit on battery size or on how many you can carry, and whether you may use a power bank during the flight.
Getting to and from Chennai airport
AAI lists taxis, car rental, rail and buses. The rail choices are the Chennai metro, from the Airport metro station, and suburban trains from Tirusulam station nearby.
Metro
Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) runs the Airport metro station. AAI's July 2024 notice says the covered walkalator connects all the terminals to the station, and AAI says CMRL counters have been placed outside both the domestic and international arrival terminals.
CMRL's station page lists the airport terminals at Entrance B, and lifts and escalators at the station.
Suburban trains from Tirusulam
Tirusulam suburban railway station is 200 m from the Airport metro station, reached on foot through a subway. The Tambaram to Chennai Beach line passes Tirusulam, Egmore and Park stations, and AAI points passengers to the Southern Railway website for train timings.
Buses
AAI says Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses serve the route from the airport to the city centre, and names the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus at Koyambedu as the city's main bus terminal. A bus stop at the Airport metro station serves buses towards Tambaram, Koyambedu and Chennai Central, and the MTC small buses S69 and S100 are listed for the station. Routes are on MTC's own site.
Taxis and app cabs
AAI's notice of 29 July 2024 said taxi and app-cab pickups, covering prepaid taxis, Ola, Uber, Fast Track, Namma Yatri and other cabs, would move to the West Multi-Level Car Park (West MLCP) from that date. It said the cab apps would show only West MLCP as the pickup location.
The notice put the taxi and cab service counters near the entrance on the ground floor of West MLCP, with a free buggy from Terminal 1 to the West MLCP access ramp. It also let taxis and cabs pick up passengers with reduced mobility and senior citizens at the arrival kerb of all terminals. For a prepaid taxi, AAI says the ticket you are issued goes to the driver.
DT Next and Deccan Chronicle reported on 14 September 2026 that a pick-up plaza about 30 m from Terminal 1 opened on 13 September 2026. The plaza may have changed these arrangements. Check the pick-up point in your cab app or with your booking before you leave the terminal.
Parking and car pickup
Parking is at the East and West MLCPs, open round the clock. Under AAI's terms, 10 minutes is free from entry to exit for "whiteboard" vehicle pickup or drop and "yellowboard" vehicle drop, and parking charges apply after that.
AAI's notice of 29 July 2024 said private vehicles could continue to pick up passengers at the terminal kerb or from any of the MLCPs.
Facilities at Chennai airport
AAI's facilities page lists these at the domestic and international terminals:
- Lounges in several places in domestic and international departures, which AAI lists for airline-designated passengers, Priority Pass members and holders of certain credit and loyalty cards; check your own entitlement with the card issuer or airline.
- Free Wi-Fi for 45 minutes, which needs a valid Indian mobile number, and is charged after that.
- Self check-in kiosks and baggage drop in the departure halls.
- Smoking lounges after security in both terminals, and a prayer room after security in the international terminal.
- Child care rooms, cash machines and foreign exchange in both terminals, and duty free in the international terminal's arrival and departure areas.
- An India Post counter at the domestic departure level, open Monday to Saturday and closed on Sundays and public holidays.
- Free telephones on the city side.
Retiring rooms and hotels
AAI's facilities page says its retiring rooms are not available because of ongoing Chennai Airport Modernisation Phase II works. Air India's airport page lists a sleeping-pod facility, and says there are no hotels inside the terminals and the nearest is 0.5 km away.
Wheelchairs and reduced mobility
Ask your airline for a wheelchair when you book, or at its ticketing counter at the airport. AAI lists ramps, braille and audio signals in lifts, and accessible toilets, and provides an ambulift on payment.
Lost property
To report lost property, contact the Airport Manager (Domestic) or the Airport Manager (International), both listed as available 24 hours a day. AAI moves unclaimed items to a warehouse after 24 hours, where they can be reclaimed on working days between 09:30 and 18:00. Items left on an aircraft go to the airline, and checked baggage is the airline's responsibility.
Airlines and destinations from Chennai
Airlines recorded on direct domestic flights from Chennai are IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express and Akasa Air. Check the airline's own schedule before you book.
Some places have more than one airport, and the table lists each separately. Mumbai has Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and Navi Mumbai International Airport, and Goa has Dabolim and Manohar International Airport at Mopa.
Direct domestic flights recorded from Chennai go to:
| Destination | Airlines recorded |
|---|---|
| Ahmedabad | IndiGo, Akasa Air |
| Bagdogra | IndiGo |
| Bengaluru (Bangalore) | IndiGo, Air India Express |
| Bhubaneswar | IndiGo |
| Chandigarh | IndiGo |
| Coimbatore | IndiGo |
| Delhi | IndiGo, Air India |
| Durgapur | IndiGo |
| Goa (Dabolim) | IndiGo |
| Goa (Mopa) | IndiGo |
| Guwahati | IndiGo, Air India Express |
| Hyderabad | IndiGo, Air India Express |
| Indore | IndiGo |
| Jaipur | IndiGo |
| Kadapa | IndiGo |
| Kannur | IndiGo |
| Kochi (Cochin) | IndiGo |
| Kolkata (Calcutta) | IndiGo, Air India Express |
| Kozhikode (Calicut) | IndiGo |
| Lucknow | IndiGo |
| Madurai | IndiGo, Air India Express |
| Mangaluru (Mangalore) | IndiGo |
| Mumbai (Bombay) | IndiGo, Air India, Akasa Air |
| Mysuru (Mysore) | IndiGo |
| Navi Mumbai | IndiGo |
| Patna | IndiGo |
| Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair) | IndiGo, Akasa Air |
| Pune | IndiGo, Air India Express |
| Raipur | IndiGo |
| Rajahmundry | IndiGo |
| Ranchi | IndiGo, Air India Express |
| Salem | IndiGo |
| Shirdi | IndiGo |
| Thiruvananthapuram | IndiGo |
| Thoothukudi (Tuticorin) | IndiGo |
| Tiruchirappalli | IndiGo |
| Varanasi | IndiGo |
| Vijayawada | IndiGo |
| Visakhapatnam | IndiGo |
Entry permits for Sri Vijaya Puram and Sikkim
Flights to Sri Vijaya Puram, and to Bagdogra for travellers going on to Sikkim, lead to areas with entry permit rules. Check the rule for your nationality before you book.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands: foreign nationals
The Andaman and Nicobar Administration's Restricted Area Permit (RAP) notice is about foreign nationals. It says they do not need an RAP to visit the 29 islands excluded from the permit regime, and that 11 further islands are exempt for day visits, valid to 31 December 2027. Nationals of Afghanistan, China (including Hong Kong and Macau) and Pakistan, and foreign nationals of origin in those countries, still need an RAP granted after prior approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The same notice says Myanmar citizens need an RAP for Mayabunder and Diglipur, that reserved forests, wildlife sanctuaries and tribal reserves need separate approval, and that any other island, or any purpose other than tourism, needs an RAP in advance. Indian citizens should check the rule for their visit with the Andaman and Nicobar Administration.
Sikkim, from Bagdogra
The Government of Sikkim says foreign nationals need a Restricted Area Permit for all of Sikkim, with citizens of Bhutan exempt, and that Overseas Citizen of India cardholders need one too. Nationals of Pakistan, Nigeria, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Myanmar need prior approval from the MHA and the Ministry of External Affairs.
Indian citizens need no Restricted Area Permit for Sikkim, but the state requires a Protected Area Permit from Indian and foreign nationals alike for its border and protected areas. The state's permit page lists an Indian passport, a voter identity card, an Indian driving licence or a Central or State Government identity document as proof of nationality for Indian visitors, and says an Aadhaar card is not accepted as proof of nationality.
Delays, cancellations and your rights
The DGCA's Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) Section 3, Series M, Part IV, Revision 4, dated 25 January 2023 and in force from 15 February 2023, set what airlines provide when a flight is delayed or cancelled, or a passenger is denied boarding (check the DGCA site for a later revision). If you checked in on time, the airline provides meals and refreshments when a delay is expected to reach two hours or more on a flight with a block time of up to 2.5 hours, three hours or more on a flight of 2.5 to 5 hours, or four hours or more on a longer flight. When a flight is cancelled, the airline offers an alternate flight or a refund, and a passenger who was not told in time is offered either an alternate flight or compensation, in addition to a full refund.
The meals and refreshments above are not required where the delay is caused by extraordinary circumstances. The CAR does not require compensation where a cancellation or delay is caused by weather, air traffic control, security risks or other causes beyond the airline's control. You can complain to the airline directly, file a grievance on the Air Sewa app or portal, or go to a statutory body or court.
Questions about Chennai International Airport
Which terminal does Air India use at Chennai airport?
Air India says its domestic operations are at Terminal 4 and its international operations at Terminal 2. For IndiGo, Akasa Air and Air India Express, check the terminal on your booking or boarding pass.
Where do taxis pick up at Chennai airport?
AAI's notice of 29 July 2024 said taxi and app-cab pickups would move to the West MLCP. DT Next and Deccan Chronicle reported on 14 September 2026 that a pick-up plaza near Terminal 1 opened on 13 September 2026. Check your cab app or booking for the pick-up point.
Can I take a train from Chennai airport into the city?
Yes. AAI's July 2024 notice says a covered walkalator links the terminals to the Airport metro station, and Tirusulam suburban station, on the Tambaram to Chennai Beach line, is 200 m from the metro station through a subway.
How long is the free Wi-Fi at Chennai airport?
Wi-Fi is free for 45 minutes and needs a valid Indian mobile number. After that it is charged.
Are there retiring rooms at Chennai airport?
AAI's facilities page says its retiring rooms are not available because of ongoing Phase II modernisation works. Air India's airport page lists a sleeping-pod facility and puts the nearest hotel 0.5 km away.