TIRUCHY: Sri Lanka-based low-cost carrier FitsAir has announced that it will start operations between Tiruchy and Colombo from December 8 this year. The airline is set to operate flights in the route on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. With this, the number of flights in the route would increase to ten per week, setting off expectations of more airlines launching operations in the route.
Currently, SriLankan Airlines is operating seven flights between Tiruchy and Colombo per week. "Tiruchy - Colombo is a route with potential and we are expecting more operations in the route. As FitsAir is a low-cost carrier, several passengers coming from Dubai and the Middle East may find the airline helpful. We also have good cargo movement to Middle East countries via Sri Lanka.
Therefore, the entry of the airline (FitsAir) would also be beneficial for the cargo sector," said N Ramesh, a city-based travel agent. Airline officials expect FitsAir’s launch to attract more operators as well. "We hope that FitsAir would get sufficient passenger traffic and it attracts more operators. We are also expecting more operations after the completion of the new terminal in June 2023," an official said.
Sources said that the airport officials are in touch with more airlines to get connectivity to more destinations from Tiruchy. At present, the airport has operations to Kuwait, Singapore, Sharjah, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Doha, Muscat and Abu Dhabi, and domestic operations to Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. "We are trying our best to attract more operators to Tiruchy. We expect operations to some new destinations like Delhi, Mumbai and Bahrain next year," a source said.