TIRUCHY: The Tiruchy International Airport netted a profit of `50 crore in the financial year of 2022-23, MP Si Thirunavukkarasar told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting held by the Airport Advisory Committee to assess the services at the airport on Saturday.
"We are one of the airports that registers high turnovers in the country. The airport has been witnessing high footfall; therefore, we anticipate more income in the coming months. Also, the works for the new terminal would be completed by June this year," said MP Thirunavukkarasar said.
Extension of air connectivity to major cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi and other international destinations from the airport was under discussion during the meeting. Of now, the airport's service spans Kuwait, Singapore, Sharjah, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Doha, Muscat and Abu Dhabi. In the domestic sector, the airport offers connectivity to Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
Meanwhile, as the airport needs to acquire about 512 acres of land for runway expansion, MP Thirunavukkarasar said efforts are on to expedite land acquisition process. Out of the 512 acres of land, 312 acres, including wetlands and private lands, falls under state government limits.
"I have already objected to the privatisation plan of the Tiruchy International Airport in the Parliament. The airport is the eleventh best performing airport in the country and the second largest airport in the state. It recorded a footfall of about three lakh passengers last year and we expect it to spiral up in the coming months. Unfortunately, the centre is trying to privatise and we would continue to object this move."
Similarly, the airport handles close to 600 tons of cargo every month. In August 2022, the airport handled about 726 tons of cargo. However, the rate slumped in the coming month due to delay in the issuance of GST refunds, affecting the business of small-scale exporters as roughly `5 lakh gets delayed for over two to three months. When TNIE raised this issue, Thirunavukkarasar said it would be taken up with the central government.