For the first time passenger movement at Coimbatore International Airport has crossed the 15 lakh mark.
On reaching 17.31 lakh last financial year, the airport is all set to join the select airports in the country that are considered as major airports.
Reason for increase is cited as the over all average increase in passenger movement across the country.
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Passenger movement that is steadily on the rise is expected to go up further when Air Carnival begins operations – possibly by the second half of May.
Passenger movement at the airport has gone up by 2,47,261 in 2015-16.
The departure and arrival last financial year is the highest the airport has recorded so far.
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It is 16.66 per cent more than the passenger movement recorded the previous year – the highest so far.
This increase was despite a mere 1.18 per cent increase in the aircraft movement.
Passenger movement has gone up in both domestic and international sectors.
In the domestic sector, passenger movement has gone up by 16.24 per cent against the increase in aircraft movement by 1.12 per cent.
International passenger movement was up by 6.66 per cent while aircraft movement was up by 2.36 per cent.
“We will soon be writing about it to the Airport Authority of India, New Delhi. On getting the confirmation from them, the Coimbatore Airport will come under the monitoring of the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA),” says Airport Director G. Prakash Reddy. Thereby it will be the second airport in Tamil Nadu, next to Chennai, to come under the AERA.
According to AAI officials, AERA has stringent set of standards.
AERA will determine the service provided.
The regulatory body will also determine the amount of development fees, monitor performance standards relating to quality, continuity, and reliability of service as may be specified by the Union Government or any other authority authorised by it in this behalf.
AAI officials said that they would soon get a detailed account of the norms to be followed.