Tamil Nadu Urges Centre to Replace AAI as Chennai Airport Operator

Tamil Nadu has urged the Centre to replace the Airports Authority of India (AAI) as the operator of Chennai airport, reopening a debate over private participation in the facility that stretches back nearly two decades.

The state's request places the airport's operating model back in focus, with the government pointing to delays in the completion of Terminal 3 and mounting concerns among passengers.

Chennai airport is currently run by the AAI, a central body that manages airports across the country. The push to bring in a new operator is not new; the question of private involvement in the airport's management has been raised periodically over the past twenty years.

At the centre of the renewed demand are the pending upgrades at the airport, most notably the T3 project, and the experience of travellers using the existing terminals. How a change in operator would address these issues, and what it would mean for the airport's future, remains the key question as the proposal moves to the Centre.