Pay more for parking at Chennai airport

CHENNAI: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has increased parking charges for vehicles entering Chennai airport, with the revised tariffs coming into effect from 12.01 am on Sunday. The hike applies to cars, two-wheelers, passenger pickup and drop-off vehicles, and vehicles belonging to airport employees.

The revised charges range from Rs 5-110, depending on the vehicle category and duration of parking, with higher rates for longer stays and larger passenger vehicles.

Under the revised tariff, the charge for cars parked for up to 30 minutes has increased from Rs 85 to Rs 90. The fee for up to one hour has gone up from Rs 110 to Rs 115, while parking for one to two hours will cost Rs 175, against Rs 165 earlier. For cars parked between 10 and 24 hours, the charge has increased from Rs 550 to Rs 580.

For two-wheelers, the existing charges of Rs 20 for one hour and Rs 35 for two hours remain unchanged. However, rates for longer parking durations have increased by Rs 5 to Rs 10, depending on the duration. The charge for parking a two-wheeler between 10 and 24 hours has risen from Rs 100 to Rs 105.

Revised tariff also increases charges for passenger vehicles with fewer than 16 seats. These will be charged Rs 345 for the first 30 minutes, up by Rs 15. The fee for parking for up to 10 hours has increased from Rs 990 to Rs 1,040, while the 24-hour charge has risen from Rs 1,100 to Rs 1,155.

For vehicles with more than 16 seats, the charge for the first 30 minutes has gone up from Rs 660 to Rs 695. The fee for 10 hours has increased from Rs 1,985 to Rs 2,085, while the 24-hour charge has risen from Rs 2,205 to Rs 2,315.

Airport employees will also have to pay higher monthly parking fees. The revised monthly charge is Rs 580 for cars and Rs 230 for two-wheelers.

Passengers who lose their parking tickets will have to pay a penalty in addition to the applicable parking fee. The penalty has been fixed at Rs 580 for cars and Rs 175 for two-wheelers.

The 10-minute free period will continue to apply from entry to exit for white-board vehicles picking up or dropping off passengers and yellow-board vehicles dropping off passengers. Vehicles remaining inside the airport beyond the permitted period will attract parking charges as per the prevailing tariff.

Parking tariffs at airports are generally revised after advance notice. However, the latest increase at Chennai airport has been announced with little notice before implementation, raising concerns among passengers and vehicle operators, particularly those using the airport for longer durations.