Airport terminal expansion may take three to four years

Even as in-principle approval for the expansion of the new integrated terminal building of the Tiruchi international airport has been accorded, the actual implementation of the project at the field-level is expected to take some time.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) had given the in-principle approval for the terminal building expansion project last year to augment infrastructure facilities to cope with upswing in overseas passenger traffic. The estimated cost of the expansion project has been pegged at over Rs. 200 crore.

The airport authorities here had forwarded a detailed proposal justifying the rationale for expansion of the terminal building in the wake of steep rise in travellers’ movements. This was because of the increase in the number of services of certain foreign carriers operating to different overseas destinations from Tiruchi. Airport sources say the completion of the project was expected to take at least three or four years from now. The identification of the agency for the execution of work and its actual completion would take time, say the sources.

Post expansion, passengers’ accommodation capacity at the integrated terminal building would significantly increase. The annual passenger handling capacity would rise from 4.9 lakh to 12 lakh a year, say the sources and added that it would significantly ease congestion at the airport.

The expansion work would be carried out both in the arrival and departure sides. Around 100 metres would be expanded in the arrival side and about 80 metres in the departure side.

The need for expansion was felt because of steady increase in flight services and overseas passengers’ movements to and from Tiruchi airport which handled over 10 lakh passengers in 2014-15 fiscal. The airport handles over 100 flights a week.

Hectic movements are witnessed between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. and from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. when there are bunching of overseas flights to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Dubai.

Additional space would be created in the terminal and departure sides once the expansion works were completed, say the sources. A couple of additional aircraft bays were proposed under the expansion plan. The third aero bridge is expected to be provided to the airport by the end of 2016.

Source