The T3 international terminal at Chennai airport, which is under construction as part of the Phase II Modernisation project.
| Photo Credit: B. VELANKANNI RAJ
The T3 international terminal at Chennai airport will be opened for passengers only by December 2026.
As part of the Phase II Modernisation work being implemented at ₹2,467 crore to enhance the airport’s capacity to 35 million passengers per annum, construction of an integrated terminal building has been on since 2018. The first phase of this building, the T2 international terminal, was thrown open for passengers two and a half years ago. The second phase, comprising the T3 terminal, which was set to be opened in July 2025 will now open for passengers only by December 2026.
Officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said the inauguration of the terminal could happen in November 2026. Following that, a month will be needed to start operations for passengers, they noted. So far, 27% of construction of the terminal has been completed.
“The contractor wanted to do a safety audit to check the structural load. Also, we had to check the safety of the route to carry materials from the city side of the terminal to the construction site. The project management consultant recently completed the audit, and the issues have been resolved. Now, the work will be in full swing, and we will be able to meet the deadline,” an official said. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance cameras have been installed to keep track of the progress of the terminal.
A few months ago, the AAI also issued a show cause notice to the contractor over delays in completing the building. One of the major reasons was also the contractor underquoting the project value back then. With the prices of materials rising rapidly, cost escalation became an issue, and there were several rounds of discussions between the AAI and contractor to solve the problem. “There is an issue with another contractor in charge for carrying out interior work too, which the AAI is trying to sort out,” a source added.
Sources in the AAI, New Delhi, said they had not foreseen one of the key challenges. “It has become very difficult to bring materials and equipment via the city side (passenger route) safely and then take them to the construction site. It has been far tougher than anticipated,” he added.
Published – December 08, 2025 08:59 pm IST
