The Hindu : Front Page : 1,000 acres sought for airport expansion

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 14, 2007
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1,000 acres sought for airport expansion

S.Ganesan

NEW LOOK: A design of the terminal building coming up at Tiruchi Airport.

TIRUCHI: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has requested the State Government to allot about 1,000 acres of land for the next phase of airport expansion here.

With Tiruchi proving its potential through overwhelming response to new air services to Singapore and Dubai by Air India Express, the focus has shifted to the next stage of development.

Apart from a further extension of the runway, construction of a cargo complex and hangars are also planned.

The AAI has given "in principal" clearance for extending the airport's runway by another 4,500 feet. The runway was recently extended from 6,100 ft to 8,000 ft on an investment of about Rs. 26 crore.

The cargo complex is a budgeted project and the sanction for the runway extension would be obtained once the State Government hands over the land, sources said. Once the runway is extended to 12,500 ft., Tiruchi would emerge as a major hub for cargo movement.

The project would hinge on how fast the Government acquires land. The State Government is expected to provide the land free of cost.

Air operators are upbeat over the growth potential for passenger traffic and cargo movement from here.

They feel that Tiruchi Airport would emerge as the second major international airport in the State after Chennai.

A new state-of-the-art terminal building, sanctioned at a cost of Rs.75 crore, is coming up adjacent to the existing one. The terminal building with a capacity to handle about 500 passengers, would have modern amenities and two aerobridges. The new terminal would be ready by the middle of next year, sources said.

Meanwhile, Air India Express is tipped to be exploring the possibilities of introducing additional flights and new routes, possibly Abu Dhabi, over the next couple of months.

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