There have been recent media reports that the airport in Chennai may not get many long-haul widebody international flights for lack of aerobridges and other operational limitations. These reports are devoid of facts and accuracy. In this regard it may be noted that

• The Chennai Airport terminal complex has 13 Aerobridges, and 1 additional Aerobridge for Code E is under construction and will be operational by March 2024.
• Out of the 13, 5 Aerobridges can cater to Code E aircraft.
• Once the 2nd phase of T2 is completed in 2025, additional 3 Code E capable aerobridge will be available soon.
• So, after 2025, 9 No. Aerobridges will be available for Code E aircrafts for International Operations in swing mode.
• Aircraft A380 mentioned in the news stories is the flagship of Code-F type of aircraft whose production has been stopped since 2021.
• The new generation wide-bodied long-haul aircrafts A350 and B777 which are being operated and which are being ordered by airlines for future are Code-E type of aircraft and Chennai Airport can handle them.

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YB/PS

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