Folk dance to mark Yatri Seva Diwas at Chennai airport

CHENNAI: Chennai airport is set to mark Yatri Seva Diwas on Wednesday with a flurry of cultural and public-engagement activities, as part of a broader strategy to transform the citys gateway into a more passenger-friendly hub and address chronic connectivity bottlenecks. Addressing a press conference here, new airport director Raja Kishore and outgoing director CV Deepak said passengers arriving in the airport on Wednesday will be greeted with tilak ceremonies and folk dance performances celebrating TNs heritage. Kids travelling with parents could take part in quiz and painting competitions, while selfie booths, free health-check kiosks and a blood donation camp will dot the terminal. But airport management is using the occasion to signal a wider reset. Raja Kishore said his immediate priority is to improve passenger experience not just inside the terminal, but across the access ecosystem. Passengers travelling 15 kilometres in two hours is a nightmare, he said, adding that a six-month roadmap is being drawn up to reduce travel times and improve first-mile and last-mile connectivity. Where issues fall within our scope, we will address them jointly with other agencies. The airport also plans to scale up outreach to schools, encouraging senior students to consider careers in aviation. Environmental initiatives are set to expand, including tree-planting drives, to boost the airports green cover. On the capacity front, the airports ongoing expansion is expected to be ready by June 2026, with phased openings to follow. Meanwhile, the grievance redressal process is being overhauled.