Madurai airport will get three more services – two on Madurai-Chennai sector with one transit flight to Delhi and the third providing a direct connectivity between Madurai and Mumbai with onward flight to Delhi.
The new services will also see entry of a new airliner, Indigo, to set its foot in Madurai with two flights with effect from March 1.
The low-cost airline would operate a flight between Chennai and Madurai and tanother one between Madurai and Delhi with a touchdown in Chennai. The airline would operate a bigger aircraft, Airbus A320, with a capacity of 180 passengers.
“With availability of additional capacity on Chennai-Madurai sector, air fare is likely to fall down drastically,” said N. Sriram, a leading travel agent.
Though the minimum fare in the sector starts at ₹1,200-₹1,500, the average fare is about ₹4,000. “Still, the fare touches anywhere between ₹15,000 and ₹18,000. We hope this high fare will fall in the coming days,” he added.
A spokesperson from Indigo said the best part of its services would be the nominal charges for extra baggage that would help passengers bound to international destinations. While the minimum baggage was 15 kg per passenger, Indigo offered additional baggage at a cost ₹500 for 8 kg, ₹750 for 15 kg and ₹1,500 for 30 kg.
“This will be the cheapest charges for additional baggage,” the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, Jet Airways is coming up a new connectivity – a direct flight to Mumbai for the first time that would further fly to Delhi. The flight service will be available from February 26.
Welcoming additional services to Madurai airport, Airport Director V.V. Rao said the bigger flights would make air fares more competitive. “Air fares will not only come down, but also become cheaper than air-conditioned rail journeys,” he said.
Additional connectivity to Madurai from Delhi and Mumbai will boost tourism and also attract more pilgrims to down south.
