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  About Chennai

Chennai falls in the top 10 cities of India with an illustrious history and thriving heritage. The 369-year-old city is one of the most developed cities in India and stands proudly as the capital of Tamil Nadu. Formerly known as Madras, the city of Chennai is known for its glorious history, arts and culture and its ardent enthusiasm towards automobiles. The city is also known as India's health capital as attracts the highest number of foreign tourists with 45 percent catering to health. The thriving city's melange of a modern vibe and traditional roots makes it one of the best urban cities in the world. The airport has excellent flight connectivity to and from Chennai and other domestic and international cities. You can make your flight bookings to Chennai as well as find a range of hotels to book from in the city.

Best time to visit Chennai

As Chennai is a tropical city located by the coast, the temperatures are incredibly high. Even the seasons are binary. The summers in Chennai are between April to June but is hot for the rest of the year too. The monsoon season in Chennai takes place twice in a year. While it receives scanty rainfall between June to September (as opposed to the rest of the country, which receives bountiful rain), the months from October to December see heavy rain in the city, owing to the north-east monsoon. The climate is hot and humid all-round the year, but December is the most pleasant time in the year to visit Chennai.

Places to visit in Chennai

Beaches

As Chennai rests comfortably on the coastal parts of Tamil Nadu, the city has some pristine beaches to check out. Touted to be the second-largest urban beach in the entire world, the Marina Beach is the jewel of Chennai with a shoreline of 12 km long. The sandy shores of the beach teamed with the exquisite Colonial buildings on the street-side make for quite a spectacle.

While Marina Beach is more on the populous side, to enjoy the serenity of a quieter beach, you can visit Edward Elliot's beach and Breezy Beach, to name a few. These beaches are quaint and attract individuals who need to step away from the city's bustle. The peaceful ambience of these beaches has turned into quite the tourist attractions in Chennai.

Temples

The temples in Chennai are centuries old and found aplenty. Every corner of the street has at least one temple. These temples have fascinating stories and exquisite architecture. The temples are known to have a specific structure in South India with detailed gopurams, enormous water tanks in the back of the temple, domestic animals such as cows and dogs, hawkers selling toys and snacks, quaint ponds and shrines of several deities. Some of the famous temples in the city that you can visit are the Kapaleeswarar Temple, the Parthasarathy Temple, Sri Ramakrishna Math-Universal Temple, Kumaran Kundram and Karaneeswarar temple.

The city is also home to a bunch of churches and mosques. In fact, the Basilica of the National Shrine of St. Thomas can be found in Chennai. The shrine is believed to be built over the tomb of St Thomas the Apostle, who had visited India in 52 AD. After his death, the saint's body is said to have been buried under the same spot where the Basilica now stands. Other notable churches and mosques include St. Thomas Mount, St. Mary's Church, Big Mosque (Wallajah Mosque) and more.

Museums and Monuments

Chennai's rich culture is reflected not just from the slew of temples and coastal delights but also the monuments and museums in the city. Since the city was also under the direct influence of the British East India Company, much of the architecture, culture and infrastructure have an English vibe. Visit the National Government Museum to learn more about the city's history. You can further go on an artistic voyage by visiting the National Art Gallery, which is more than 100 years old.

Ecological parks

Another major highlight of the city is the number of ecological parks and gardens that can be explored. The city runs a crocodile preservation park as well as a snake park called the Guindy Snake Park. Sprawled across 280 hectares of land is the Guindy National Park which is known to be the smallest national park in India. While the national park is inhabited by very few flora and fauna, it does hold a dedicated space to preserve reptiles and other amphibian species. Besides these two, one can opt to visit the Arinjar Anna Zoological Park, also known as Vandalur Zoo, which is located in the outskirts of the city.

Things to do in Chennai

Chennai is heavily invested not just in the automobiles but also the literary, arts and culture fields. To them, dance and music play a significant role in their daily lives. In fact, the city also observes a bunch of festivals such as Madras Music Season, Madras Day, The Hindu Lit for Life and Chennai Book Fair to commemorate some of their indulgences. These events are a rage and definitely worth attending. You can visit some of the music and dance functions held by the Nungambakkam Cultural Academy Trust, The Music Academy in TTK Road, Sri Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha and Indian Institute of Music and Arts to name a few.

Another fun activity to take up would be to watch a movie of a South star at one of the single-screen or even a multiplex. The fervour of fandom during the release of their favourite celebrity's movie release is euphoric and definitely worth experiencing. As for bibliography enthusiasts, you can visit the Theosophical Society to explore the library set by Anne Besant. There are various malls with high-end fashion brands that you could check out. Or you can always go to Pondy Bazaar in T Nagar to shop silk ensembles and golden accessories.

Food and Restaurants in Chennai

T Nagar and Anna Nagar in Chennai are known market places with many food and restaurant options too. In fact, some of the best joints in the city can be found here. One of the most popular restaurants, Saravana Bhavan, is a must-visit to get the best of South Indian vegetarian food. Sri Anandam Hotel, Geetha Cafe in Pondy Bazaar, Rathna Cafe in Triplicane and Karpagambal Mess in Mylapore are some of the best restaurants that will you give quite the experience of the delicious South Indian cuisine. Dakshin and Southern Spice also offer tasty food.

However, if you do wish to explore a little more, Mansuk's shop in T Nagar is known to emulate Mumbai-chaat and Gujarati Thali. For sweets and desserts, you must let your tastebuds acquaint with Mysore Paks, Tarti Paal and other such sweets, which you will find at Sri Krishna Sweets and Aavin corners. DOJO Kulfis is also a famous hub for traditional ice creams such as kulfi, faloodas and smoothies.

How to reach Chennai

By Air

After Delhi airport and Mumbai airport, the Chennai airport is the third most active airport in India for domestic as well as international departures and arrivals. The airport is divided into two terminals, the Anna Terminal reserved for international flights and the Kamraj Terminal for domestic flights. Located in the same long stretched airport, the flight connectivity to and from Chennai is excellent.

Not just domestic but even international cities are well-connected with Chennai. Major international flight routes from Chennai to cities such as London, Frankfurt, Singapore, Malaysia, the Middle East, New York, Hong Kong, etc. can be reached as flights are available from Chennai Airport. Since Chennai is one of the busiest cities in India, the flight demands are also quite high. Make your flight bookings to Chennai months in advance to avoid high ticket costs.

Another perk of the Chennai airport is how it is well-connected with the city too. While it is located in the outskirts, the airport has a Metro which directly connects with the main city, making travelling far more convenient.

By Rail

There are two central stations which connect Chennai to other major cities in the country. Chennai Central and Chennai Egmore are the two central stations with regular trains entering and exiting the city from different parts of India. While Chennai Central is known to connect the city to other cities, Chennai Egmore has intercity trains that run regularly. Interestingly, both the stations are well-connected with the Chennai airport.

Chennai Central sees trains coming in from cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Madurai, Ahmedabad and Coimbatore daily. Since the rail connectivity is so good, it is often considered by travellers. You must book your rail tickets well in advance as the demand is always high to travel to Chennai.

By Road

The city's bus station is touted to be one of the largest in Asia. Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT) is a state-owned property and provides transport services to a plethora of destinations in the South of India. Located in the main city, there are several direct buses to the airport as well as the Egmore station. Considered to be a cheap and affordable means of travelling, you can visit Chennai as long as your location is in the neighbouring states. The travel time to Pondicherry, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Tirupati, Trivandrum, etc. is considerably low.

  About Malaysia Airlines

Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) or formerly referred to as Malaysian Airline System (MAS) is primarily recognised by its brand name Malaysia Airlines. It is the national flag carrier of Malaysia and is also one of the members of the Oneworld airline alliance. The airline has its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur International Airport. In fact, the airport is also the main hub for the airline with Kota, Kinabalu and Kuching being the secondary hubs. The airline was predominantly owned by the Malaysian government's sovereign wealth fund called Khazanah Nasional. It owned about 69.37 per cent of stakes in the airline. However, in 2014, the fund further expressed interest to purchase the remaining ownership from the small-time shareholders and to even de-list Malaysia Airlines from Malaysia's stock exchange. Their eventual aim was to renationalise the airline by primarily taking over the entire venture. The airline has catered to a slew of destinations sprawled across Asia, Europe and Oceania. It currently operates two subsidiary airlines under its wing, namely, Firefly and MASwings.

Malaysia Airlines' Firefly operates from its two designated home bases in Penang International Airport and Subang International Airport. It has scheduled flight operations and focuses majorly on tertiary cities. Meanwhile, MASwings focuses on inter-Borneo flights. Along with the passenger-flying airline subsidiary, Malaysia Airlines also has a cargo carrier fleet called MASkargo. The freighter fleet enables cargo carrier services and caters to the aircraft cargo-hold capacity for all the dedicated passenger flights of Malaysia Airlines. The history of the airline traces back to the time when it was founded as Malayan Airways Limited. The airline was founded in the 1930s, in Singapore and chartered its first commercial flight in 1947. In 1963, the airline was rebranded as Malaysian Airways following the formation of Malaysia. As Singapore separated from Malaysia in 1966, the airline was once again renamed as Malaysia - Singapore Airlines. Eventually, the assets were divided, and in 1972 two diverse airlines, namely Malaysian Airline System and Singapore Airlines, were formed.

Over the years since its formation as a dedicated national flag carrier to Malaysia, the airline has received tremendous recognition by Skytrax, including the titles of The World's 5-Star Airline and Asia's Leading Airline at the World Travel Awards. They have actually won these accolades on multiple occasions. However, despite the recognition and accolades, Malaysia Airlines has struggled to cope with the costs that have accumulated with the rise in the low-cost carriers prevalent in the region. After incurring huge losses, the airline did announce a turnaround plan by cutting a few routes prominent yet unprofitable long-haul international destinations. These included Los Angeles and Buenos Aires in North and South America as well as cities in South Africa. Internal restructuring of the management and operations in Malaysia Airlines also kick-started as they planned to sell off some of the engineering and pilot training units. Malaysia Airlines currently owns about 28 subsidiaries, of which 25 of them are wholly owned by the company. Further, the airline has also diversified into various sectors that are pertinent and related to the aviation industry. These include aviation engineering, tour operator operations, aircraft ground handling and aircraft leasing, to name a few.

Fleet size of Malaysia Airlines

Malaysia Airlines' current fleet size accommodates 81 aircraft in total. The airline majorly has Airbus and Boeing aircraft. It has a total of 48 Boeing 737-800 narrow-body aircraft, 15 Airbus A330-300s, six Airbus A330-200, Airbus A330-900 and Airbus A380-800. Meanwhile, the airline has already placed an order for 15 Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 10 Boeing 737 MAX 10. Airbus A330-200 and Airbus A330-300 flights cater majorly to the high-demanding medium-haul and long-haul routes. These flights also accommodate business class and economy class cabins. Meanwhile, they started accepting deliveries of six Airbus A350-900 in 2017 and replaced them with the ageing Boeing 777-200ER fleet.

With the inclusion of Airbus A350-900, the airline received its first aircraft fleet with provisions of first-class cabins. With a view to replacing the ageing Boeing 747-400 fleet with Airbus A380s, Malaysia Airlines also signed a contract in 2003 to purchase six of the new fleet. Although the flights were expected to be delivered in 2007, there were some delays that cropped up due to manufacturing concerns. Malaysia Airlines did announce to purchase 25 Boeing 737 MAX jets in 2016, the aviation authorities put the deliveries on halt, following two fatal crashes that took place in less than five months.

Baggage Allowance

Baggage allowance in Malaysia Airlines varies depending on the ticket type and class cabin. For passengers who are travelling from the business class cabin, the maximum weight for checked baggage allowed is 40 kg. The passenger will be charged extra if the weight exceeds the set allowance weight. As for the economy class cabin, the airline allows 30 kg of checked baggage. The checked baggage dimensions should also not exceed a sum of 158 cm. While extra baggage weight can be purchased, the same cannot be done for the dimensions as it is a mandatory clause. For hand baggage, the airline allows two pieces to be carried in the cabin. The weight of the two bags should not exceed 14 kg. As for the economy class cabin passengers, the airline allows baggage weight to be 7 kg and not more than that.

Passengers also need to make a note of the dimension of the baggage which should be within the total dimension of 115 cm. Should your baggage weigh more than the free checked baggage allowance allotted by Malaysia Airlines, the airline would charge in US dollars per kg. It will also depend on the passenger's point of departure for the tariff. For example, if the passenger is travelling from India, the set airline charge for the excess baggage would be USD 20 per kilo. Medicines and toiletry items such as perfumes, toothpaste, creams, etc., can be carried in hand luggage, provided they are in 100 ml/mg containers. The airline also expects the passengers to put the said toiletries in transparent plastic bags, and the total dimension should not exceed 80 cm. Special reservations are made for passengers who are travelling with infants. Details of the same can be found on the official website of the airline.

In-flight services

Malaysia Airlines is recognised for its immaculate in-flight services that range from world-class hospitality to well-equipped flights. The airline offers a slew of exquisite in-flight services such as comfortable seating arrangement, reclining seats made of leather, decent legroom, personalised in-flight entertainment systems, in-flight meals for medium and long haul flights, and more. These facilities are available on all the class cabins to enable a comfortable journey for the passenger.

Popular routes and top cities for Malaysia Airlines

Malaysia Airlines initially catered to about 118 domestic routes and over 114 international routes that sprawled over six continents. However, following the announcement of the turnaround plan in 2006 to accommodate more profits to the venture, the airline terminated several flight services to destinations that didn't yield profit. Some of the routes whose flight operations were reduced include Vienna, Manchester, Kolkata, Zurich, Chengdu, Fukuoka, Xi'an, Cairo, Ahmedabad and Nagoya. The airline did commence services to South Africa with flights to Cape Town, Johannesburg, to name a few.

However, these services were also suspended following the cost-cutting plans. Malaysia Airlines has played a pivotal role in introducing the Kangaroo Route, which has direct connections to Australian and New Zealand destinations from Europe via Kuala Lumpur, in less than 5 hours. As of 2020, the airline caters to top cities such as Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Phnom Penh, Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Chennai, Delhi, Kochi, Mumbai, Jakarta, Osaka, Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Penang, Kathmandu, Jeddah, Medina, Seoul, Colombo, Bangkok, London, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, to name a few.

Why travel by Malaysia Airlines?

Malaysia Airlines has witnessed tremendous trials and tribulations over the years since it rebranded and became a new aviation entity. Despite all the concerns with respect to losses and debts, the airline continues to offer world-class facilities and amenities that manage to attract travellers to choose the said airline. Over the years, the airline has terminated a few of its international routes and domestic routes to accommodate better in-flight services and enhance the travel experience of the passengers.

Further, they have also started online booking facilities as well as ensured to keep their website up to date. Passengers can book a Malaysia Airlines ticket online without having to worry much as it is available on all travel portals. The airline's phenomenal connectivity with major Southeast Asian destinations has added to its reputation for being a sought-after choice to travel in the Asian continent. Plus, their newer and more comfortable international routes with direct flights have also put them on the map. Passengers can do web check-ins as well as get updates on the flight status. They can also get hold of Malaysia Airlines' flight schedule on their official website to help plan a trip.

  About Chennai Airport

Chennai International Airport serves as the international airport to the city of Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu. The airport is situated in Tirusulam, which is about 21 km away from the city centre. It has been recognised as the third busiest airport in the country in terms of international traffic as well as cargo capacity. The airport falls behind New Delhi and Mumbai to be on the list of the busiest airport. The Chennai International Airport is also the fourth busiest in India, with respect to passenger traffic and follows New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. In India, the airport falls in the top five list of busiest international and domestic airports. The Chennai International Airport has also been acknowledged as the 49th busiest on the Asia level, becoming one of the four top cities to be on the top 50 Asia list. The airport is perfectly connected with Chennai Metro as well as Tirusulam railway station, which falls in the Chennai Suburban Railway line.

About Chennai Airport Terminals

The airport has two terminals which have been named after the state's former chief ministers. The domestic terminal is also known as K. Kamaraj while the international terminal is named C. N. Annadurai. They are interconnected by a building. The building now serves as an older international block that deals with administrative offices, along with a restaurant. The whole stretch is one linear structure that was built additionally as Anna terminal (T3) was brought about in 1988 to align with the Kamaraj terminal (T1). The first domestic terminal that was built at the Chennai airport had two aero-bridges. This was considered a milestone as the Chennai airport became the first one in the country to have aerobridges in the domestic terminal. Terminal 1 and 2 are not used for passenger traffic any more. They have been reserved for cargo. Meanwhile, the newly built Terminals 3 and 4 serve the international departures and arrivals. Annadurai terminal deals with international passengers. The terminal has about 45 check-in counters, 38 immigration booths with 16 at the departure terminal and 22 at the arrivals and 18 customs counters which are at the departure as well as arrival terminal.

About airport authority

Earlier, the Civil Aviation Department handled the Chennai Airport in 1952. However, the operations were later taken over by the Airports Authority of India in 1972. Since then, there have been extensive infrastructural development plans and schemes that have been conducted. Much recently, the airport underwent some extensive construction to modernise the amenities prevalent in the airport. The new international terminal (T4), was built just while ago. Simultaneously, the existing international terminal (T3) was renovated, and a second runway was extended. The parallel runway also includes new taxiways, parking bays as well as a cargo terminal. The Airports Authority of India is responsible for working on the designs, maintenance and management of the airport. Not to mention how AAI brings forth funds to expand the development projects and schemes for the airport. The statutory body has also introduced two sustainable gardens which have been installed within the airport premises. Along with this, they have worked towards many other expansions.

Facilities at the Chennai Airport

Child care rooms: The Chennai airport has reserved specific rooms for mothers with infants. The space is perfect for feeding, changing table and other such activities to take care of the kids. The room is perfectly maintained and is regularly sanitised.

Wheelchair services: The airport also has wheelchair services that have been reserved for senior citizens, expectant mothers and passengers with medical ailments. You can find these services at the departure and arrival gates of both the terminals.

WiFi: WiFi services have also been provided at the airport. There is free WiFi that is available for close to 45 minutes in the premise. You can also find paid services of WiFi for better connectivity and longer duration of access. You will need an Indian phone number to get hold of the services.

Medical aid: The airport also has special medical kits and rooms available for emergencies. To ensure that emergency cases are tended to with prompt medical assistance, there are kits and services available at close intervals. There are health scan facilities also available at the airport to get a better understanding of the medical concern if need be.

Prayer rooms: Multi faith rooms have been reserved for passengers. The prayer rooms are open for people of all faith as there are religious books also present in the hall. These rooms can also be used as meditation halls.

Lost and found: Lost and found facilities are also available at the airport premise. Details of the same can be received at the information desk. A few dedicated spaces have been allotted at close intervals for lost and found desks.

ATMs and Forex: The airport has a slew of ATM kiosks and foreign exchange counters at regular intervals to help passengers. In case you are running short of cash or need to exchange some currency, you can find counters at the airport.

Post Office: One of the cool facilities that the airport has is postal services. There are courier services and post offices in the airport vicinity. You can find them at both the terminals. This can be ideal for last-minute mails and documents that need to be sent out.

Restaurants and cafes:

Chennai airport has a bunch of hotels and famous food establishments. The airport cafeteria has many options to choose from for food. From Indian cuisine to dishes from the international kitchen, there are many choices that can be made for food while you wait to board the flight.

Smoking zone: The airport has dedicated smoking rooms too. The rooms also have provisions for cigarette boxes, in case passengers run out of them or need to purchase them.

Baggage wrapping: The luggage facilities at Chennai airport are also good. Aside from trolley services and luggage counters to store them, the airport also has baggage wrap services. The airport is equipped with professional staff that package the bags with plastic to avoid various concerns ranging from baggage mishandling to thefts.

VIP lounge: Chennai airport has reserved halls for VIP lounges. Individuals with first-class flight tickets and premium memberships with specific airlines will have access to the VIP Lounge. The lounge services are quite good and upscaled.

Top airlines flying from the Chennai Airport

Domestic flights flying from Chennai Airport are from Terminal 1. The Chennai International Airport is touted to be the HQ of the Airports Authority of India, with states such as Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Lakshadweep and Puducherry under its wing. The Chennai airport has immaculate connectivity with most of the Southern cities and hence, has various domestic airlines catering to the same. Airlines such as Air India, Air India Express, Air Asia India, Alliance Air, GoAir, IndiGo, SpiceJet, TruJet and Vistara, operate from the Chennai International Airport. These airlines have flights connecting to specific small towns within the Southern belt and hence, make the airport an important hub.

Along with the domestic airlines that operate from the city, there are a plethora of international airlines that also function from the airport. A majority of flights connecting to Australia and New Zealand have airlines available. The most important international airlines that operate from Chennai Airport are Air Arabia, Air Austral, Air Canada, Air Mauritius, Air New Zealand, Air Seychelles, Air Asia, All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, Asiana Airlines, Batik Air, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, EgyptAir, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, Fiji Airways, flydubai, Flynas, Garuda Indonesia, Gulf Air, Japan Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Kuwait Airways, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Maldivian, Malindo Air, Oman Air, Qantas, Qatar Airways, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Saudia, Silkair, Singapore Airlines, Srilankan Airlines, Thai Air Asia, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, US-Bangla Airlines and Virgin Australia. Terminal 3 and 4 are reserved for international airlines as departures and arrivals take place from them.

How to reach the Chennai Airport

The Chennai International Airport is located on the National Highway 32, also recognised as the Grand Southern trunk Road. The highway is known to be a famous link that connects the city to other important cities in Tamil Nadu. The best way to reach the Chennai International Airport is by opting for its closest railway station, the Tirusulam railway station. The station falls on the Suburban railway network. Often this route is considered as it directly connects with the city centre. Another famous route connecting the city centre to the airport is via the metro station. The airport metro station falls in the Chennai Metro line. The metro line is also considered to be the ideal way to reach the Chennai Airport. Aside from the Tirusulam railway station, the Metro station is favoured more. It is also acknowledged to be the second metro station which connects with an airport in India.

There are expansion plans that are in the making to make the connectivity to Chennai airport better from the city centre. It has been announced that a direct tube will be constructed to bridge the distance from the metro station to the Chennai airport. Flyovers are also being erected to connect the metro station directly to the departure and airport terminals. Simultaneously, the government is also planning on facilitating a connection between the Tirusulam train station with the metro station.