Tamil Nadu Foodgrains Merchants Association has urged Civil Aviation Minister to launch flights to Malaysia, Dubai and Sri Lanka from Madurai
The Tamil Nadu Foodgrains Merchants Association has urged the Union Civil Aviation Ministry to press Air India to launch international flights from Madurai.
Dindigul Member of Parliament N.S.V. Chitthan submitted a memorandum on behalf of the trade body to the Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh recently. The association urged the national carrier to immediately launch flight services to destinations such as Malaysia, Singapore, Dubai and Sri Lanka.
It pointed out that though the Madurai Airport had been declared as an ‘international airport' and with the necessary infrastructure already in place, the airport was yet to get international connectivity. Coimbatore and Tiruchi continue to remain the only internationally-connected airports in Tamil Nadu outside Chennai.
Besides being located centrally, Madurai has the world-famous Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple which attracted a lot of foreign tourists. The Ramanathaswamy Temple, another famous temple that attracted a lot of foreigners, was located south of Madurai. Tuticorin Port was also situated near Madurai. The Association said that the people of eight districts were waiting for international connectivity.
Further, the association also requested the Central Government to extend the runway of Madurai Airport from the present 7,500 feet to 12,500 feet. The State Government, it said, had already expressed willingness to acquire 610 acres for the purpose.
The trade body also requested Mr. Ajit Singh to provide aero-bridge facility for Madurai airport, according to a press release.
Keywords: grain exports, Madurai, farmers
How long we have to wait? I dont understand why our govt. doesnt take any concrete steps to start international flights from madurai. Twice we (family) using thirchy airport to go Doha, how difficult it is u know? I request the concern govt personnel to take immediate action on the subject issue.
Asking permission to Civil Aviation for international flights is one
thing, but why Air India in particular? The merchants association is
better off writing solicitations to Singapore, Malaysian and Emirates
airlines directly themselves. With a pathetic performance of Air India
combined with the ongoing pilots strike, they won't be ready to add
additional flights from Madurai, any time soon.
Madurai airport should start International flights immediately,also it
should be named after Muthuramalinga Thevar. Similarly Trichy should be
named after famous tamil poet Subramanya Bharathi and Coimbatore airport
after C.Rajagopalachari.
The representation is correct. My wife and I visit Theni every year during the past one decade because we have to take care of my aging mother-in-law because my wife is the only child for my mother in-law. We end up in waiting for more than 8 hours in the domestic terminal of Madras because there is no direct connection to Madurai. Indeed, I am thinking of flying to Cochin and take a taxi to Theni. It would take only 26 hours to reach Theni from hometown in the US. I suggested the same to my friend here in the US to reach Coimbatore quickly without waiting for the morning flight from Madras. I am sure that there are so many people like us who want to fly directly to Madurai. I suggest that there should be flights (not necessarily Air India) to Madurai directly from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha or even European centers so that we do not need to wait in Madras for more than 8 hours.
Th famous malligai' flower cna access international markets easily with
global flights. But all this will fall on the deaf ears of the air
India and its pilots which is in a terminal stage. Only Sundareswarar
shoudl make them see reason!
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