Tuticorin Airport
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Tuticorin Airport (Template:Comma separated entries) is a domestic airport serving Thoothukudi and its adjoining districts of Thoothukkudi, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi and Kanniyakumari in Tamil Nadu, India.[1] It is located at Vagaikulam, Template:Cvt west of the city centre, on National Highway 7A. The airport was ISO 9001:2015 quality certified on 13 April 2018. It is the fifth-busiest airport in the state after Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli and Madurai airports.
Structure
The airport has one asphalt runway, oriented 10/28, Script error: No such module "convert". long, and Script error: No such module "convert". wide. The taxiway is Script error: No such module "convert". wide and Script error: No such module "convert". long. The airport has two parking bays. Stand 1 is to the east of the apron, and Stand 2 is to the west. Stand No. 1 for an ATR 72 or lesser type of ACFT, and stand No. 2 for a Bombardier Q400 or lesser type of ACFT. while its terminal building can handle 120 passengers during peak hours. Navigational aids at Tuticorin airport include NDB TU, PAPI lights, and an aerodrome beacon. The DGCA has granted it a higher category license, moving it from VFR to IFR on 30 June 2020. Tuticorin Airport is capable of all-weather day and night operations at low visibility of less than Script error: No such module "convert".. The air traffic control tower is located to the north of Apron and has Aerodrome Control (ADC), Surface Movement Control (SMC), and Approach Control (APP) units. The air traffic services unit is provided with meteorological information.[2]
Expansion
A master plan for upgrading the airport in phases had been prepared by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Government of Tamil Nadu has handed over 600.97 acres of land free from encumbrance to the Airports Authority of India on 31 December 2018 for the expansion. An additional 110 acres of land have been set aside for the Indian Air Force and the Indian Coastguard. As part of the 96.77 crore expansion project initiated on 25 July 2020 the following activities are planned:[3]
- Expansion of runway width from Script error: No such module "convert". to handle Code-4C aircraft.[4]
- Expansion of the apron to accommodate five A321 aircraft measuring Script error: No such module "convert". in dimension.
- New isolation bay for Code C aircraft and a Script error: No such module "convert". taxi link way.
Night landing facilities were established at the airport on 29 June 2020, and their first operation began on 3 July 2020.
In September 2020, the Airports Authority of India stated that it is initiating a project that includes widening the runway, constructing a new Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower, and constructing a new terminal building at a total cost of 381 crore. It will be operational by December 2024. The new terminal building will cover an area of 17,341 square metres, with 4 entry gates and be able to handle 1440 passengers during peak hours with 21 check in counters, 7 baggage scanner, 644 SHA seating capacity and 3 aerobridges. A technical block, a fire station, an isolation bay, aprons, and five aircraft parking bays for handling Airbus A320 type aircraft are also part of the project.[5]
Airlines and destinations
Template:Airport destination list
Naming
There has been a longstanding public demand to rename Thoothukudi Airport as V. O. Chidambaram Pillai International Airport, Thoothukudi, in honour of the renowned Indian freedom fighter and maritime pioneer V. O. Chidambaram Pillai, popularly known as Kappalottiya Tamizhan. Hailing from the Ottapidaram, Chidambaram Pillai played a vital role in India's independence movement, particularly by launching the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company in 1906 to challenge British maritime dominance. Supporters of the proposal believe that renaming the airport would serve as a lasting tribute to his contributions to Indian nationalism and economic self-reliance. Several social organizations and political leaders from Tamil Nadu have raised this request to the Government of India.
Statistics
See also
- Airports in India
- Air transport in India
- List of airlines of India
- Transport in Thoothukudi
- List of airports in Tamil Nadu
- List of busiest airports in India by passenger traffic
References
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External links
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