TIRUCHY: Despite Tiruchy international airport's domestic connectivity to major cities such as Chennai, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, there are currently no flights operating to the neighbouring state of Kerala.
This has prompted frequent travellers and travel agents to call on airlines to resume services to Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode. Indian Airlines previously operated daily services between Tiruchy and Thiruvananthapuram from 1996 to 2009 and weekly flights to Kozhikode between 2000 and 2007.
Similarly, IndiGo briefly connected Tiruchy with Kochi between 2018 and 2019. However, all these services were discontinued due to operational reasons. “Lakhs of devotees from Kerala visit Velankanni basilica every year, especially during the 11-day feast late in August.
Likewise, many Tamils see Kerala as a prime tourist destination, and hundreds of Keralites in Tiruchy are involved in business and government jobs. Resuming these flights would benefit passengers on both sides,” said J John, a travel agent.
Recently, the merger of Air India Express and AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India) was formalised following approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. This could lead to an expansion of domestic routes as the new entity will have access to a larger fleet of aircraft, said aviation enthusiast H Ubaidullah.
"Tiruchy is emerging as a hub for Southeast Asian destinations, while Kochi and Kozhikode are important for Gulf routes. Resuming flights between these cities could boost connectivity for both Gulf and Southeast Asia-bound passengers," he said.