TIRUCHY: The runway expansion project at the Tiruchy international airport has become a pressing concern for aviation enthusiasts and frequent flyers nearly 15 years after it was first proposed.
The emergency landing of a Sharjah-bound Air India Express at the airport due to hydraulic failure last Friday has once again highlighted the need to extend the existing runway.
In 2010, the Airport Authority of India proposed extending the length of the runway to 12,500 feet from the existing 8,000 ft to accommodate wide-bodied aircraft, significantly improving both passenger and cargo-handling capabilities.
However, even after 15 years, the proposal has not been fulfilled, raising concern among frequent flyers, who believe it is essential for local trade, commerce and tourism development. It is widely held that if the airport had a long runway the Sharjah-bound Air India Express could have avoided circling for over two-and-a-half hours before making the emergency landing. It may be recalled that a Dubai-bound Air India Express hit the perimeter wall of the airport on October 12, 2018.
This incident was also attributed to the insufficient runway length. Experts note that while there is no direct connection between runway length and the time a pilot circles before an emergency landing, pilots need to assess the situation and ensure they have enough altitude and speed for safe landing, particularly if the runway length is inadequate.
"The Tiruchy airport continues to be a profit-making one, next to Chennai in the state. It could handle much more passenger traffic as well as cargo if the runway was capable of handling wide-bodied aircraft," said H Ubaidullah, an aviation enthusiast.
When contacted, Collector M Pradeep Kumar told TNIE that the entire land acquisition process is expected to be complete within a month. The land required for the runway expansion project is 510.30 acre.
"The notification process has been finalised and we are in the process of settling payments to landowners. The land acquisition for the runway expansion is getting over probably in a month. In the meantime, acquisition of 164 acres of defence land is also underway," the collector further stated.