Airport records 1 lakh international passengers

The number of international passengers per month at the airport here recently crossed one lakh, in what was termed a major achievement for the airport. With comparatively less domestic flight connectivity, the number of international passengers has been rising. According to data released by the directorate general of civil aviation, the international passengers for the month of December, 2014 alone stood at 1, 04,907. 

The airport has been able to achieve this despite lack of direct connectivity to any Gulf country and absence of Gulf carriers. In December, 2014, the airport handled a total of 1, 14,566 passengers, including 9,659 domestic passengers. In May, the figure stood at 98,178 international passengers and 6512 domestic passengers. In 2014, only one international carrier, the Malindo Air offering flights from Trichy to Kuala Lumpur, was introduced at the airport, joining five other services that fly overseas. 

Most flights from the Trichy airport, which has a 75-year-old history, are Southeast Asia-bound, with none of them flying directly to Gulf countries. It receives about 250 passengers on a daily basis, with the Sri Lankan Airlines offering the sole flight that goes to the Gulf via Colombo. According to senior airport officials, the flights have remained the same, with the load capacity increasing. On an average, all flights operating from Trichy have a load factor of over 80%. The increase in passenger traffic has been aided by the introduction of facilities like direct through check by all low-cost carriers operating here.