TIRUCHY: After a long wait, the State government has granted administrative sanction for the extension of runway at Tiruchy International Airport. A total of 346 acres covering two villages have been identified for acquisition. Once the land is acquired, the current runway will be extended to a total length of 12,500 ft and would be ideal for the touchdown of wide-bodied aircraft, marking a significant improvement in the development of the airport.
Though Tiruchy airport gained international status five years ago, the short runway proved to be a hindrance for further development of the airport. Due to short runway, only narrow-body aircraft could be operated. At 8,136 ft, the airport has the shortest runway among the top 15 tier-II city airports in the country. While the runway at the Cochin International Airport is 11,155 ft, it is 11,808 ft in Ahmedabad and 10,007 in Vishakapatnam airports. Delhi has a 13,534 ft runway, while Amritsar one is 12,001 ft.
“An office will be set up to monitor the entire land acquisition process, for which surveyors and officers would be appointed,” said Tiruchy airport director K Gunasekaran.
Of the total 510.30 acres, 164.68 acres fall in the defence category. Leaving out those 164 acres, the remaining will be available for development. The delinking of defence land would help focus on the remaining area.
Of the total 346.32 acres spread across Nathamavadipatti and Kizhakalkandarkottai, an area of 116.66 acres, considered to be wetland, was the subject of controversy. The remaining were all poromboke and arid lands. Based on the survey for land acquisition, compensation would be provided by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to the landowners.
Once the required infrastructure is made available, Tiruchy airport could be on par with the Chennai International Airport.
Secondary airport role
During Cyclone Vardah and floods, all flights were diverted to Bengaluru from Chennai. Tiruchy can be an alternative after runway expansion