Chennai International Airport (MAA) serves as the gateway to South India. Well-connected by metro and located close to the city, it's one of the more convenient major airports in India.
Terminal Layout
- Domestic Terminal (T1): All domestic airlines — IndiGo, SpiceJet, Air India, Akasa
- International Terminal (T4): All international flights + some Air India international
- Connected: Both terminals are walkable (5-10 min walk through connector)
Getting to Chennai City
- Chennai Metro: Airport station on Green Line → Chennai Central in 35 min. Rs. 40-60. BEST option.
- MRTS (Suburban train): Tirusulam station (walkable from airport) → Beach/Fort. Rs. 10-15.
- Ola/Uber: To T. Nagar Rs. 300-500, to Marina Beach/Mylapore Rs. 250-400
- Prepaid taxi: Available 24/7. Rs. 400-800 to most city areas.
Key Advantage: Location
Chennai airport is only 17 km from the city center — much closer than Bangalore (40km) or Hyderabad (30km). Non-peak drive time is just 30-40 minutes.
Lounges
- Travel Club Lounge (Domestic): Decent, credit card access available
- TFS Lounge: Good for quick bites before flights
- International lounges: Improved options in T4 after recent expansion
Pro Tips
- Use metro: It avoids the GST Road traffic completely
- South Indian food: The airport has authentic filter coffee and dosa options — try them!
- Pre-book transport: Ola/Uber surge pricing is common during IT shift change (6-9 PM)
- T4 expansion: The new international terminal is much improved — enjoy the modern facilities