When the plan for acquisition of 634 acres was approved in 2010 for a massive expansion of the Coimbatore Airport to make it world-class, the western region seemed set to receive a major economic boost.
Besides expanding the runway to accommodate jumbo cargo jets, vital for trade and industrial exports, plans were drawn up for a glitzy new integrated state-of-the-art terminal at a cost of Rs. 800 crore for both domestic and international travellers. The region’s long-term economic needs were factored in while the master plan was drawn up.
A still-born childFour years down the line, the plan is a still-born child, say sources in the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
It is the State government’s responsibility to acquire the land.
A land acquisition cell was established, but the government is yet to release the fund. Land acquisition is vital to meet the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s operational requirements for international flights, according to sources. About 150 acres belongs to the three wings of the armed forces.
There has been no progress despite several meetings on acquisition of the defence land.
The Centre granted Coimbatore the status of international airport on October 2, 2012.
Two years later, it is connected to only two international destinations — Sharjah and Singapore — one less than the much smaller Madurai Airport. Prolonged delay in expanding the airport may lead to even the halting of international flights, the sources caution.
Highest financial lossTo make things worse, the Coimbatore Airport has the highest financial loss among the airports in Tamil Nadu and is also top ten in the country in the last financial year.
It registered three years of negative growth, sources say.
A senior airport official says they are witnessing several businesses in the Coimbatore region turning to other airports such as Kochi. Once lost, these business opportunities are highly unlikely to return, he warns.
