IndiGo is set to launch daily flights on the Mumbai-Tiruchi-Mumbai sector, providing direct connectivity to the country’s financial capital from the city, from November 4.
The airline will also add another frequency on the Chennai-Tiruchi-Chennai sector taking the number of services on the route to five a day. The airline has opened bookings for the flights.
“IndiGo will add one more frequency to Chennai under its winter schedule, effective October 29. They will be operating the direct service to Mumbai, which is an already approved slot, from November 4,” Airport Director P. Subramani told The Hindu on Tuesday.
According to sources, the airline will operate an Airbus A-320 aircraft with about 180 seats on the Mumbai-Tiruchi-Mumbai sector. The flight will depart Mumbai at 1.10 p.m. and reach Tiruchi at 2.55 p.m. In the return direction, it will depart Tiruchi at 3.50 p.m. and reach Mumbai at 5.40 p.m.
The airline’s fifth frequency on the Chennai-Tiruchi-Chennai sector will be an afternoon service, with the flight departing Chennai at 12.30 p.m. and reaching Tiruchi at 1.40 p.m. In the return direction, the flight will leave at 2 p.m. and reach Chennai at 3 p.m.
IndiGo already operates direct flights to Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, besides a through flight to Delhi. In August 2020, the airline had, for a brief period, operated a bi-weekly service on the Mumbai-Tiruchi-Mumbai sector.
Travel industry representatives here have long been demanding a direct daily service to Mumbai and felt that it would attract good patronage from people of the central districts. “It is a long-awaited service. With the new terminal coming up fast at the airport, it augurs well for the city. It will be improve air connectivity to other parts of the country from Tiruchi. We are looking forward for a direct service to New Delhi, which, if introduced, will meet the domestic air connectivity requirements of the city fully,” said V.Vasudevan, past president, Tiruchi Tourism Federation. All the domestic flights from Tiruchi have proved to be success, including those to Hyderabad and Bengaluru, he added.
S. A. Mubashir, vice -president, Tiruchi Tourism Federation, observed that many families settled in Mumba, would utilise the service apart from business travellers and tourists. Those travelling for pilgrimage to central Tamil Nadu would also get better connectivity. Besides, it would be useful for international passengers travelling via Mumbai.
In the past, Air India Express operated a weekly service from the city to Mumbai. A few years ago, Jet Airways operated daily flight services on the New Delhi-Mumbai-Tiruchi-Mumbai-New Delhi sector. However, the airline withdrew its services in October 2018, seven months after introducing the facility, much to the disappointment of travellers from the central districts.
