Tamil Nadu - Tuticorin   

Commercial air operations take off from Tuticorin, after eight years

Staff Reporter

Passengers given a warm reception by Air Deccan and AAI officials

NEW AVIATION ERA: Passengers alighting from a Chennai-Tuticorin flight in Tuticorin on Saturday. — Photo: N. Rajesh.

Tuticorin : After a gap of eight years and 312 days, commercial air operations were launched from Tuticorin airport here on Saturday.

Piloted by Commander Quientero, a Columbian national, and First Officer Saritha, Air Deccan's ATR 42 aircraft on Chennai-Madurai-Tuticorin sector touched the runway at 11.15 a.m., signalling the revival of passenger operations from the airport here since the NEPC stopped its flight to Chennai on May 23, 1997.

A large gathering comprising senior officials from Airports Authority of India (AAI), Tuticorin Port Trust, Air Deccan, industrialists and media persons were present at the airport to witness the revival of commercial air operations.

In all, 30 passengers alighted in Tuticorin and they were given a warm reception by Air Deccan and AAI officials at the apron.

On its return journey to Chennai (without touching Madurai), 33 passengers, including 27 males, five females and one infant, boarded the plane in Tuticorin. Ananda Chandra Bose, Traffic Manager, Tuticorin Port Trust, became the first passenger to check-in and board the plane.

The Tirunelveli MP, Dhanushkodi Athithan, flagged off the take off at 12.15 p.m. A.Abdul Nazeem, Airport-in-charge, and AAI officials were present.

Anti-hijack training

Meanwhile, P Gouri Shankar, Regional Deputy Commissioner, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, gave anti-hijack and anti-sabotage training to 12 police personnel and five security personnel of Air Deccan in the morning, just before the flight arrived. The trained men would now be posted permanently at the airport.

Many of the passengers, who alighted in Tuticorin, expressed their delight to be the part of the history being among the first set of passengers in the `new aviation era' of Tuticorin.

P.K. Venkat, first passenger to touch the apron, and G Sundari, a first time flier, said `Tuticorin looks beautiful from air'.

However, K Sethu, an expatriate based in Saudi Arabia, felt that the inflight services should have been better, even though it's short haul flight, if the flying had to be attractive in the sector.

Speaking to The Hindu, R Krishnaswamy, Director (Corporate Planning), Air Deccan, said suggestions for more air services from Tuticorin would be considered after studying the passenger potential.

The AAI sources said a private operator based in North India had expressed their desire to start operations from Tuticorin later this year.

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