THOOTHUKUDI
The ₹ 380-crore expansion works under way at Thoothukudi airport should, in all probability, get over by 2023, according to Airport Director N. Subramanian.
Speaking to reporters here on Saturday, he said that senior officials from the AAI, led by Southern Regional General Manager Srikrishna, inspected the works. Replying to queries, he said a 600-seating capacity passenger terminal was under construction. The expansion works included a 1400-metre-long and spacious fire station on the airport premises and an Air Traffic Control (ATC) room.
When asked about the likely completion of all the expansion works, he said, in all probabilities, they should get over by 2023.
The width of the 1,349-metre-long runway would be increased from the present 30 metres to 45 metres, which would enable wide-bodied aircraft like A 321 to land and take off with ease.
The Airport Director said they had got clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for setting up a signal at Vallanadu and hoped that the works would be completed by February 2022.
Mr. Subramanian said once the runway expansion was completed, passengers could directly reach out to destinations such as New Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai.
He also said airlines, which were operating now in the existing infrastructure, would be able to operate night flights.
He said prior to COVID-19 pandemic, the use of the airport by general public and by passengers was high. However, in the present scenario, the numbers had dropped.
When the COVID-19 regulations imposed by the governments eased, he hoped that the number of passengers using the airport would rise gradually.
All the guidelines issued by the governments were strictly adhered to and people without masks were fined ₹ 200, and steps were being taken to install RT-PCR counter at the airport soon.
