Tamil Nadu - Salem   

A joy trip to Chennai

Photo: E. Lakshmi Narayanan

Excited: Orphaned children who got a chance to fly between Salem and Chennai, waving to the people before leaving Salem on Tuesday. —

SALEM: Their eyes became wide with excitement when they entered the airport.

Their joy knew no bounds when they saw the wide-bodied aircraft of the Kingfisher Airlines touching down on the runway of the Salem Airport.

Sponsored by the Salem District Small Scale and Tiny Industries Association, these four boys, all orphans, studying in various schools in Salem, had left Salem on Tuesday in the flight for a two-day ‘Chennai Darshan,’ where they, as the guests of Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation, would be on a whirlwind sight-seeing tour thanks to its secretary Irai Anbu.

The four – Suyambulingam (15) of Veda Vikass MHSS, Mallur, V. Eliyas (12) of Tippu Islamia High School, Salem, Sasikumar (14) of Little Flower HSS, Salem and M Ravichandran, (11) of Government High School, Salem – had never seen an aircraft, let alone travelled in one of them.

Ms. Nalini Raman would accompany them as caretaker.

Association president K. Mariappan told The Hindu that TTDC would take them to Mahabalipuram and Kancheepuram on Wednesday and the association would take care of them the next day.

They would fly back to Salem on the same day.

Their trip also, citizens hoped, would popularise air travel in this region.

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