Chennai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the New Integrated Terminal Building (NITB) of the Chennai Airport in Tamil Nadu. The Rs 1,260 crore NITB was inaugurated in the presence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Governor RN Ravi, Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Information and Broadcasting L Murugan, Union Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya M Scindia and others.
The NITB is designed to showcase the heritage of the state and its rich culture. The government said that the addition of the NITB will increase the passenger service capacity of the airport. It will increase the serving capacity from 23 million passengers per annum to 30 million passengers per annum.
Also read: PM Modi flags off Vande Bharat Express in Hyderabad; CM KCR skips event
The government further said that the new terminal is a striking reflection of the local Tamil culture, incorporating traditional features such as the temples, sarees, Kolam and other elements. The NITB spans an area of 1,36,295 square metres. It includes 100 check-in counters, 108 immigration counters, six baggage reclaim belts, 17 escalators and 17 elevators.
The Airport Authority of India (AAI) said that every design integrated into the building is well thought out. The AAI said that the columns are designed to create the visual effect of a palm tree, the roof design is derived from Bharatnatyam and the ceiling has Kolam patterns of south India. The roof of NITB replicates the pleated costume of the traditional dance form of Bharatnatyam, it added.
