There is a security hold area present on the ground floor of the international terminal at the Chennai airport. It is known that this area is also called by the name ‘Bus Lounge’ area. In this bus lounge, the passengers wait to be taken by the shuttle buses to the aircraft.
The news that has come out is AAI or Airport Authority of India would be expanding this security hold area in a bid to board passengers using shuttle buses because an aerobridge would be closed for construction.
Recently, AAI had expanded bus longe at the domestic terminal as many airlines are boarding passengers at remote parking bay away from the terminal due to construction. It must be noted that the construction is going on to build an integrated terminal in space between the international and domestic terminal.
It was later brought out by a senior official of AAI that as a part of building a new terminal, one portion of the old international building on the first floor that was used to board passengers using aerobridges plus one aerobridge would be dismantled. He added that the loss of space needs to be compensated and for this reason, the security hold area on the ground floor (Bus Lounge) is expanded.
The official then hinted that the space in front of the terminal at the apron would be paved and covered to extend the security holding area and more chairs would be added. Once the terminal work gets finished next year, the aerobridge would be re-installed back. It is said that till then more passengers would be taken by the buses to board their flights at the international terminal.
Information is plane would be parked closer to the terminal but the passengers might have to use the buses to board due to the absence of one aerobridge. Aerobridges would be given to the wide-bodied planes but those airlines (that fly short-haul international routes to south-east Asia and the Middle East) would be boarded using shuttle buses in the peak hours at the night time. It must be noted that the flight operations would not be affected much.