Covid-19 hits passenger traffic at Tuticorin airport

Tuticorin: Passenger and flight movement at the Tuticorin airport, which showed an increasing trend in 2019, witnessed a decline in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Passenger movement declined to 1,33,647 in 2020 from 2,31,406 in 2019 – down by 42.24% while aircraft movement at 2,286 in 2020 is 37.79% less than the 3,675 in 2019.

The MP pressed for more air connectivity including connections to Delhi and Colombo. She also asked the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to construct a state-of-the-art futuristic airport, cargo operations facilities, promotion of tourism and prepare a long-term vision to acquire sufficient land to avoid future congestions.

Kanimozhi also urged the AAI to take up projects such as building a library establishment of a primary health centre, schools and other amenities to benefit the community around the airport under corporate social responsibility. Additional collector Vishnu Chandran said that a proposal has been sent to the transport secretary for additional land requirement.

District collector Senthil Raj thanked the MP for extending support to obtain the forest and wildlife clearance from the ministry of environment, forest and climate change to install solar-powered aviation obstacle light at Vallanadu Hill that has facilitated night landing operations.

AAC members comprising representatives from the tourism and industrial sectors emphasised the need for more direct air connectivity from Tuticorin to Kochi, Coimbatore, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Delhi.


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