In the wake of repeated complaints over poor maintenance of the Chennai airport and as a follow-up of an inspection in July, the Civil Aviation Ministry is expected to send officials to inspect the terminals again.
This time, though, Minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju himself may come for inspection, sources at the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said.
At a time when the aviation sector is booming, the AAI has, in the last few years, taken up modernisation of various airports, including those in Chennai and Kolkata. The Chennai airport modernisation project included the construction of domestic and international terminals, a fire station and additional parking facilities and the extension of the secondary runway. The project, launched in 2008, was inaugurated in January 2013 and commissioned months later. It started on an estimate of Rs. 1,808 crore, but the cost went up to a little over Rs. 2,000 crore.
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Despite the ambitious plan and massive investment, passengers had been constantly making complaints on poor maintenance. Ever since the terminals were commissioned, there have been several instances of glass panels developing cracks and false ceiling collapse.
After the July visit, officials of the Ministry and the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) returned with the photographs of the damaged floors, unclean and stinking bathrooms. The Minister set a two-week deadline for the overhaul of the airport and ordered several improvements.
The coming inspection will be to check whether there is a significant change in the upkeep.
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“It is not clear on which date the inspection will happen. The Minister may take a call,” an official said.
“We changed some procedures in the maintenance and are in the process of fixing the issues at the airport. In a few weeks, passengers may be able to see a good progress in the upkeep of the terminals,” the official added.