Passengers travelling out of Chennai airport or the Chennai Metro station on its premises will soon get a host of recreational facilities.
Officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said they will work with the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) in creating commercial spaces at the Chennai Airport Metro station.
“This facility will be located on the ground floor of the Metro station and will have everything from retail outlets to food stalls that both passengers using this station and those coming to the airport can use. This apart, we also plan to have a lounge which passengers can pay and use,” an official said.
Sources said both organisations have also decided to split the revenue from this venture. The work for this will be taken up soon, they added.
Busy station
The Airport Metro station is spread over 17,300 sq. m., comprising two levels of parking, a concourse and platforms.
Of 26 stations that are operational, the Chennai Airport station is one of the busiest and about 5,000 people travel through it on a daily basis. This is one of the primary reasons why such a big facility was being planned here, as many travellers would be keen to use it.
Affordable options
Though there are food joints inside the airport terminals, food and retail outlets inside a Metro station are likely to be more affordable.
A few years ago, Chennai Metro started putting up food stalls at the stations on the stretch between Koyambedu and Alandur and the initiative was then expanded to other stretches like Little Mount to Chennai Airport.
But even now, not all stations of the Chennai Metro have these stalls.
