That glimpse of Marina Beach, the aerial view of the densely packed city, could perhaps be one of the most charming sights when an air passenger flies out from the airport or lands here. But did you know how the city looked almost a century back? J.W. Madley, after whom a subway has been named in T. Nagar, assembled an aircraft in 1914 and took it to inspect some work in the Red Hills area. “Madley, who flew the aircraft, went on to describe Madras as ‘a city of distances with huge houses and gardens,” historian K.R.A. Narasiah said.
Madras had set foot on the aviation map just a few years before. In February 1911, when an aeroplane took off from the city, many thronged to take a good glance at it, in what looked like wizardry to them back then. The Hinduon February 18, 1911, reported: “….a huge and enthusiastic crowd collected in the early hours of the morning... Every place of vantage from which a view of the flight could be obtained was crowded with spectators, long before the hour for the flight arrived.”
Tracing the roots all the way from when the first flight departed from the city to witnessing some of the major developments, Mr. Narasiah, while delivering a talk for Madras Day, said several people still didn’t know about the many firsts that Madras has.
First private airline
The first private airline in the south, Deccan Airways, had its first flight from Madras to Delhi through Hyderabad on July 1, 1946, with a 21-seater Dakota. Madras came into airmail service with Tata’s plane coming to Madras, he said.
“The flight took off at 8.30 a.m. from St. Thomas Mount aerodrome and landed at Hakimpet airport at 10.45 a.m. A distance of 320 miles was covered in two and a half hours. The fare structure for Madras to Hyderabad was ₹65,” he added.
The Flying Club in Madras was formed in March 1930, and there were as many as 71 founding members, including 14 Indians. The first year of the club saw seven pilots get ‘A’ licences.
Mr. Narasiah, said that The Hindu’s role in it was indeed unmissable. It had distributed newspapers to other cities via flights, and for better distribution, they thought it would be better to own planes and send out the newspapers, he added.
“In a significant story that occurred in November 1963, when the news of US President John F. Kennedy’s assassination broke, the air edition copies had already been printed and dispatched. One of the planes had left the airport too. But a decision was made to carry the news in the air edition, and the plane returned to the city. Additional copies were printed with this news printed on the front page and subsequently sent again on the flight,” he added.
Any telling of the aviation history of this city must include the bomb blast that occurred on August 2, 1984, at Meenambakkam International Airport. It was an attack by the LTTE, and in the terrorist bombing, 33 people were killed and 27 others were injured.
Myriad plans
Madras airport was poised to scale up facilities, and elaborate plans were made for expansion. From planning two lounges for international passengers, one for departure and another for arriving passengers, to extending the length of the runway to receive widebody aircraft, the vision was to ensure Madras was the gateway to south India, a title it retained for a very long time until recently.
“The present runway, which is 10,050 feet long, is also to be extended to 13,000 feet and strengthened further to receive jumbo jets, which are expected in the country in the next five years,” a report published in The Hindu on May 19, 1965 read.
The airport also saw the expansion of the terminals and the addition of new facilities. When the domestic terminal was revamped and opened in April 1985, it was “claimed to be the most modern and spacious one among other such terminals built so far in India for handling domestic traffic”. Be it a deluxe air-conditioned airport-city passenger coach service or a suburban railway station, quite a few transport options were made available for air passengers. Even an ‘infant corner’ with toys and other facilities was created for passengers travelling with children.
The Hindu’s archives show that in 1990, during the event when the terminals were named Anna International Terminal and Kamaraj Domestic Terminal, the former Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, P. Upendra, said, “Due to some technical difficulties in other airports in the south such as Hyderabad, could not be made into international airports. Since Madras was the pivot of the region, more international airlines should operate through Madras, and domestic flights should also increase.”
The past decade has seen the airport draw quite a lot of criticism for causing inconveniences to air passengers. But the present round of modernisation at Chennai airport now promises to provide much relief for air passengers who are fervently hoping the city has an airport with better toilets, faster clearance, quick baggage delivery, direct connectivity to more destinations, and, of course, regain its status as the gateway to south India.
Published - August 21, 2023 11:28 pm IST
