CHENNAI: With airport expansion work progressing at both Coimbatore and Thoothukudi, industrialists and trade bodies have urged the Central and State governments to introduce direct flight services between the two cities under the Centre's UDAN regional connectivity scheme.
According to a Daily Thanthi report, the demand has gained momentum as Coimbatore continues to expand as one of Tamil Nadu's major industrial and commercial hubs. Infrastructure at Coimbatore International Airport is currently being upgraded to meet the growing passenger traffic generated by the city's increasing population and business activity.
At present, Coimbatore has flight connectivity to major domestic destinations, including Chennai, Bengaluru, Kochi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata, besides international services to Sharjah and Singapore. However, despite Thoothukudi being one of Tamil Nadu's key port cities, there is no direct air connectivity between the two cities.
Industrialists pointed out that Coimbatore is home to a large number of entrepreneurs from southern Tamil Nadu who are engaged in manufacturing, exports and trading activities. Products such as textiles, engineering goods and machinery components manufactured in Coimbatore and neighbouring Tirupur are exported to various countries through the ports of Kochi and Thoothukudi.
In the absence of direct flights, business travellers are forced to depend on trains, private buses or road transport to reach Thoothukudi. Representatives from the textile industry said the proposed service would significantly reduce travel time and improve logistics for exporters.
Former Coimbatore Industrial Chamber president Nandakumar and other industry representatives said the Union Government's UDAN scheme was introduced to improve regional air connectivity by linking smaller and medium-sized cities. They urged the authorities to include Coimbatore-Thoothukudi and Coimbatore-Thiruvananthapuram routes under the scheme.
Industry representatives suggested that the service could initially be operated using ATR-72 aircraft with a seating capacity of around 72 to 78 passengers. If passenger demand increases, larger aircraft could be deployed in the future.
They said such a service would not only benefit exporters and industrialists but also the general public. In addition, many devotees from western Tamil Nadu travel regularly to the Tiruchendur Subramania Swamy Temple, and a direct flight to Thoothukudi would considerably reduce travel time for pilgrims.
They also noted that Coimbatore currently lacks direct air connectivity to Thiruvananthapuram despite the growing demand for travel between the two cities.
According to the report, officials at Coimbatore Airport acknowledged that there has been increasing demand for direct flights connecting Coimbatore with cities such as Thoothukudi, Madurai and Thiruvananthapuram.
They said the Airports Authority of India has been informed about the growing demand and added that the airport is prepared to facilitate operations once the necessary approvals are granted by the concerned authorities.
With expansion work progressing rapidly at both airports, industrial bodies believe the proposed flight services would strengthen regional connectivity, support trade and tourism, and further enhance Coimbatore's position as a major economic hub in Tamil Nadu.