CHENNAI: Passengers travelling from Chennai to southern districts such as Thoothukudi, Madurai, Tiruchi, Salem and Coimbatore are facing severe hardship owing to the unavailability of direct flights during the festive season.
With schools and colleges on extended holidays for Christmas and New Year, a large number of people living in Chennai and its suburbs have begun travelling to their hometowns, leading to a sharp increase in passenger traffic at Chennai International Airport.
As demand has surged, tickets on direct flights from Chennai to Thoothukudi have been completely sold out for both Wednesday and Thursday. As a result, passengers bound for Thoothukudi are being forced to travel via Thiruvananthapuram. However, flights on that sector are also fully booked.
Consequently, many passengers are left with no option but to take connecting flights via Bengaluru and then proceed to destinations such as Thiruvananthapuram or Thoothukudi. This has led to significantly higher airfares and longer travel times, causing considerable inconvenience.
A similar situation prevails on sectors connecting Chennai with Madurai, Tiruchi and Salem. With all direct tickets sold out, passengers are being forced to route their journeys through Bengaluru, further escalating costs and travel duration.
Passengers have urged airlines to operate additional flights from Chennai to Madurai, Tiruchi, Thoothukudi, Salem and Coimbatore to ease the festive rush.
Fare comparison (one-way):
Chennai–Thoothukudi: Regular fare Rs 4,100; via Bengaluru Rs 13,400
Chennai–Thiruvananthapuram: Regular fare Rs 5,173; via Bengaluru Rs 17,331
Chennai–Madurai: Regular fare Rs 4,248; via Bengaluru Rs 13,160
Chennai–Tiruchi: Regular fare Rs 4,121; via Bengaluru Rs 13,842
Chennai–Salem: Regular fare Rs 3,093; via Bengaluru Rs 8,688
Chennai–Coimbatore: Regular fare Rs 4,147; festive fare Rs 8,448