Chidambaram flags foul smell at Chennai airport, AAI offers explanation

CHENNAI: Senior Congress leader and former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Friday night flagged what he described as an unbearable stench near Terminal 4 of the Chennai airport, raising questions over maintenance standards at the international facility.

In a post on X, Chidambaram said that as one stepped out of the main lobby in Terminal 4 to the indoor road, the stink was unbearable. He asked whether the airport manager, officials and employees of the Airports Authority of India noticed the condition and questioned how such a situation could persist at an international airport.

Responding to the post, the Airports Authority of India, Chennai Airport, expressed regret over the experience. In its reply on X, the AAI said the unpleasant odour could have been due to a garbage clearing truck that had passed through the area about 10 minutes earlier.

The AAI said garbage clearing vehicles were deployed during lean and odd hours to avoid inconvenience to passengers and that residual foul odour might have lingered after the truck moved out of the area. It added that duty managers were on round-the-clock duty to regularly monitor and ensure the upkeep of airport premises.

The exchange drew attention to passenger experience and sanitation at one of the country’s major aviation hubs, which handles a large volume of domestic and international traffic daily.