Evening flights plan fails to take off

TIRUCHI: The posting of additional Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) men at Tiruchi Airport does not appear to have helped start evening air services to Chennai and other destinations as expected.

Evening service to Chennai, Bangalore and other cities from Tiruchi has been a major demand from the industry and the travel trade here for long. Absence of evening flights is said to be causing a delay in starting the proposed IT Park here.

Airports Authority of India (AAI) had previously cited the CISF manpower constraint as the impediment. Even a month after additional CISF men were posted, the much talked about evening services have not materialised.

Some private airlines, which were earlier planning evening services, are yet to firm up their plans. Cost-cutting measures in the wake of increase in aviation turbine fuel price is one of the reasons. But some others want the airport officials to allow operations without any restrictions.

The airport authorities seem to be reluctant to allow evening operations, especially between 6 and 9 p.m., because of limited manpower at the Air Traffic Control.

Kingfisher Airlines, according to sources, has been refused a departure time of 8.30 p.m. for a Chennai flight. Airport sources contend that additional ATC staff cannot be called just for a single service by an ATR aircraft which being exempt from paying landing charges, does not bring in much revenue. The carrier then decided to resume its late evening thrice-a-week 10.45 p.m. flight on the Chennai-Tiruchi-Chennai sector from September 17.

The service was suspended a couple of months back due to poor occupancy due to the inconvenient schedule. The airline is keen on resuming its Bangalore service, provided it gets a preferred time slot.

Airport officials contend that it was time for airlines to think of linking other destinations without limiting themselves to Chennai and Bangalore, both short-haul routes which are proving to be rather unsuccessful in the price-conscious Tiruchi market. “Unless airlines are provided the time slots they seek in the interest of passenger convenience, they would not think of introducing evening flights,” says a representative from the travel trade.