Poll rush, summer travel push up arrivals at Trichy airport

Trichy: Passenger traffic at Trichy International Airport has surged over the past week, driven by a combination of assembly elections and the summer vacation season, with a notable rise in arrivals, particularly among NRIs returning home to vote. With polling scheduled for April 23, arrivals have consistently outnumbered departures in recent days, as many travellers planned their trips to coincide with voting."Due to the Iran-Israel conflict in the Middle East, I postponed my trip to my native in Trichy. After the election date was announced and the situation improved, I planned my journey to cast my vote," said A Sulaiman, an NRI returning from Dammam in Saudi Arabia. While connectivity from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur remains unaffected, several flights to the UAE continue to be cancelled. Many NRIs from Gulf countries are instead flying into Chennai or Mumbai and taking domestic connections to Trichy to reach their hometowns across central districts. Airport data shows a sharp rise in arrivals from 1,969 passengers on April 13 to 2,712 on April 21 — a 38% increase within a week — even as the number of incoming flights rose marginally from 21 to 22. "The occupancy rate has increased across domestic and international flights arriving here. The numbers could have been higher, but many NRIs are reluctant to travel as ticket fares have surged following the Middle East conflict," said H Ubaidullah, an independent aviation analyst. Airport authorities also confirmed the trend. "International arrivals have seen a marginal increase. Domestic services are performing well too. High occupancy is typical during summer, but the elections have also contributed," a senior Airports Authority of India official said. MSID:: 130445880 413 |