Kuala Lumpur has emerged as the most sought-after overseas destination from Tiruchi with the addition of one more daily flight service to the Malaysian capital.
Low-cost carrier Air Asia introduced its fourth service in the Tiruchi– Kuala Lumpur–Tiruchi sector on April 26, taking the total number of daily services to seven. Malindo Air operates three flights a day in the same sector.
Air Asia’s latest night service arrives in Tiruchi at 9.45 p.m. and departs at 10.30 p.m. The overseas airliner is operating its signature Airbus A-320 flight with 180 seats and the response has been good.
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“The flight is running with packed capacity every day since its launch,” said an airline official.
Aviation sources foresee a good rush to Kuala Lumpur during summer vacation, which has already started in the state. Air Asia tops the list of foreign carriers, which includes Sri Lankan Airlines, Air India Express, Malindo Air and Tiger Airways, operating services from Tiruchi to various overseas destinations.
With the addition of one more daily service, Tiruchi today has the highest number of daily flights to Kuala Lumpur compared to other non-metro airports in the country, the sources said. Further, Air Asia offers connectivity to Singapore, Australia and other South East Asian sectors from the Malaysian capital. This factor, coupled with low cost, has prompted overseas passengers to opt for the airliner.
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Stakeholders contend that the growth of passenger and freight traffic at the Tiruchi international airport would further shoot up with the additional service. At the same time, demand for direct connectivity to various destinations in West Asia from Tiruchi is also growing because of the large work force from central and southern districts employed in the region.
At present, Dubai and Sharjah have direct connectivity to Tiruchi, with demand for direct flights to Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia increasing.