Chennai Airport,  previously called the Madras Airport has the following aviation history:-

• 1932 - 1st Aircraft landed - "Pushmoth". The usage was confined to Military             Operations only during 2nd World War.
• 1952 -  Civil Aviation Dept. took over.
• 1972 - IAAI took over.
• 1978 - Commissioning of Air Cargo Complex.
• 1985 - Commissioning New Domestic Terminal
• 1989 - Commissioning of New International Terminal

   Chennai Airport is the major hub airport in Southern India, handles 9% of the overall air passenger traffic of Indian Airports and enjoys the third place consecutively after Mumbai (MIAL) and Delhi (DIAL) airports. It has better connectivity to the rest of Indian regional airports and to the major airports in the world.

   On an average 17,000 passengers are handled in a day in domestic sectors to and from Southern Regional airports (42 %), Western Regional Airports (26 %), Northern Regional Airports (20 %) and Eastern Regional Airports (12 %). In the International sector, on an average 10,000 passengers are handled in a day to South East Asian airports (55 %), Middle East airports (31 %) and European airports (15 %).

UNIQUE FACILITIES:-

   Chennai Airport has all the free and paid facilities at par with world class standards. It has a unique facility of Domestic and International Terminals adjacent to each other connecting with common canopy. Moreover, the Suburban railway station is connected with under passage to the airport. It has many firsts as furnished below:-

• First International Airport to get ISO-9001-2000 Certification.
• 1st to have aerobridges at Domestic Terminal.
• 1st to use Domestic terminal for International flight on wheels.
• 1st to supply free mineral water through designated water coolers at Kamraj Domestic Terminal Anna International Terminal.
• 1st to introduce paper cups at Airport to make it environment freindly.
• Adjudged 'Best Airport - Domestic Terminal' by Indian Guild of Professional Architects. The President of India gave the award.