Officials of AAI said smart baggage carriers will be fitted with a screen wherein passengers have to first scan their boarding pass
| Photo Credit: VELANKANNI RAJ B
Following the footsteps of Hyderabad, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) will soon bring in smart trolleys at the Chennai airport to help passengers find their way easily through the security hold area to shop and dine.
Smart trolleys are small tech-equipped compact wheeled carts with which passengers can navigate through the security hold area of the airport.
Officials of AAI said such smart baggage carriers will be fitted with a screen wherein passengers have to first scan their boarding pass. “Once the passengers scan the pass, they can view real-time flight information, the boarding gate for his flight, the directions to that gate and various dining and shopping options in the security hold area. The trolley will also have space to carry their cabin baggage,” an official said.
“Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport introduced this facility sometime back. Now we have begun steps to bring it to the city airport as well. We will float bids shortly and launch the facility soon,” another official said.
Initially, the plan is to have about 100 such smart trolleys for the airport. AAI plans to place 40 of them in the international terminal and 30 each in the T1 and T4 domestic terminals. “Most passengers get quite a bit of time after their security check before boarding their aircraft to do some quick shopping or to grab something to eat. Anyone new to the terminal can easily choose which shop or restaurant they want to head to, without having to waste time,” he noted.
A. Sankar, a frequent flyer and founder, Indian Air Passengers Association said, he has utilised this facility in Hyderabad and found it impressive and convenient. “I’m glad that such trolleys will be available in Chennai too. While this is a good move, what we also need to do is to add a lot of shopping and dining options at the airport like Hyderabad does,” he said.
Published – January 04, 2026 06:45 pm IST