TIRUPATI: Tirupati Airport is set to enter a new phase with the Centre giving in-principle approval to lease the airport to a private operator under the public-private partnership (PPP) model, with the facility being bundled with Tiruchirappalli International Airport.
The Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC), at its recent meeting, approved the Civil Aviation Ministry’s proposal to award 11 Airports Authority of India-run airports in five bundles.
Tirupati and Tiruchirappalli airports form one of the five proposed bundles, with a single private concessionaire expected to operate, manage and develop both airports. The move comes at a time when Tirupati Airport is witnessing steady growth in passenger traffic and aircraft movements, driven by pilgrims visiting Tirumala, tourism and business travel.
During a recent review of Tirupati Airport’s development, Union Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu said the airport had successfully crossed the milestone of handling more than one million passengers in a year.
Tirupati currently has regular domestic air connectivity to several major cities like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai, besides regional destinations including Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam.
The connectivity is set to receive a further boost, with Air India Express scheduled to commence services to Tirupati from September 1.
“The government has selected the airports through a data-driven exercise, considering passenger traffic, land availability, commercial potential, financial performance and airport-specific strengths. The proposal is now in the implementation pipeline with AAI,” a senior Tirupati Airport official told TNIE.
The decision to club Tirupati with Tiruchirappalli is commercially significant. The proposed participation is expected to bring fresh investment, improve operational efficiency and strengthen commercial development at the airport.