The Tiruchi International Airport has posted a robust growth in passenger and cargo traffic, but it has no flights to the Middle East, forcing passengers from the central and southern districts to travel either through Chennai or Thiruvananthapuram or Cochin. Many also pass through Colombo.
Air India Express is the lone carrier now flying from Tiruchi to Dubai. But its departure and arrival timings do not suit many. Furthermore, 2.5 tonnes of vegetables is being sent from Tiruchi to Kuwait every day, through Colombo. Travel industry representatives say that though Tiruchi was declared an international airport in 2012, service between Tiruchi and the Middle East is yet to take off in the absence of a bilateral air services agreement.
Besides helping travellers from the central and southern districts, flights to the Middle East will provide onward connection to Europe, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, says M.S. Paramasivam, chairman, South Tamil Nadu chapter of the Travel Agents Association of India.
“Flights to the Middle East will increase not only passenger traffic but also cargo movement,” points out R. Venkatachalam, managing director, Naveen Travels.
Many Gulf-based airlines are interested in operating from Tiruchi, but they cannot do so in the absence of the bilateral agreement. The Centre should facilitate flights from Tiruchi to the Middle East, say industry representatives adding the runway at the Tiruchi airport can easily facilitate the operation of Airbus 320 flights.
With services to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, besides links to Colombo and Dubai, the airport handled one million passengers (both international and domestic) during 2013-14. The figure will shoot up if flights are operated to the Middle East, argues Mr. Paramasivam.
