Chennai International Airport in India will trial airport check-in options in local metro stations from March 2023.
The facility is expected to be fully rolled out on April 14, 2023, once the feasibility study, necessary checks, mandatory clearances and approvals from authorities have been accomplished. Once implemented, passengers will be issued their boarding passes as soon as they check in their luggage at the counter at the selected metro station. Passengers can then spend their time in the city, reaching the airport itself in time to board the flight. The check-in facility will be further extended to more metro stations if there is sufficient passenger demand for it.
With this initiative, Chennai Metro Rail Limited and the participating airlines at Chennai Airport intend to both improve the passenger experience and reduce the workload of airport staff. The initiative is also expected to reduce the congestion on roads leading to the airport and likewise reduce the carbon footprint of airport-bound passengers. The participating airlines include IndiGo, Air India and Vistara. IndiGo is also considering adding a ‘check-in at…’ option (airport/metro station) to its online booking website.