[1]Aesthetically built canopies will protect passengers arriving at Chennai airport as they wait for taxis at the pick-up point and also provide a sight for sore eyes.
The tensile fabric canopies, which have been erected near the new terminal buildings, will now provide a safe and appealing environment for passengers waiting for transport.
Each canopy is a self-supporting structure, and has a series of upper and lower radial spars, much like an umbrella.
The structure can also protect passengers during the rainy season, as the water would run off the surface of the each canopy membrane right in to its base.
“The canopies look awesome. The passengers can have an artistic view of the canopies as soon as they walk out of the brand new terminal building to hire a taxi.
It will surely be one of the highlights when the new terminal opens,” said S. Rajalakshmi, who reached the city on Monday after a four-month stay in Mumbai.
The Mumbai airport has already implemented a project involving inverted fabric canopies at the entrance of the terminal building.
“We are replicating the Mumbai project, but in a different way. Our canopies are not inverted,” said airport director E.P. Hareendranathan.
“Canopies have been erected as part of the airport expansion work. They have been set up near both the terminals for passengers to board taxis,” he said, adding that the dedicated taxi stand would reduce congestion in front of the terminal buildings.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) had carried out a trial run at the new domestic terminal – 2 that has five levels — basement, arrival, mezzanine, departure and VIP levels.
The new building, which will be operational by June, can handle 10 million passengers per annum with peak hour capacity of 3,300 passengers.
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