Now, flying to Singapore directly from Madurai will be possible all seven days a week, as Air India Express is introducing three more services a week from March 27. Besides, the same flight would be given a direct link between Kochi and Madurai.
Buoyed over the high patronage for its four days a week service that was started in September 2017, Air India Express has increased its frequency.
“We have lot of demand on Madurai-Singapore sector and are now increasing the frequency,” said its Chief Executive Officer, K. Shyam Sundar. The service on this sector is seeing an average occupancy rate of 90%.
As of now, Madurai-Singapore flights are being operated on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The flight departs Madurai at 11.15 p.m. and lands at Singapore at 6.15 a.m. (Singapore local time). In the return direction, it leaves Singapore at 10.40 a.m. and reaches Madurai at 12.25 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
The same flight is also providing a direct connection between Madurai and Delhi. “Madurai-Delhi sector is also doing well on many days,” he said.
The new services connecting Madurai with Singapore will be available on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
However, on these days, the service will be available at different timings. The flight would leave Madurai at 1.10 p.m. and reach Singapore at 8.10 p.m. In the return direction it would leave Singapore at 9.15 p.m. (Singapore local time) and reach Madurai at 11.05 p.m.
The Kochi-Madurai flight would leave Kochi at 11.10 a.m. and land in Madurai at 11.55 a.m.
“This service will provide an onward connectivity for passengers landing at Kochi between 7.30 a.m. and 8.30 a.m. from Sharjah and Doha to Madurai,” Mr. Shyam Sundar said.
Chairman of TourIST, of Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, N. Sriram, said that the flight would provide air link from Madurai to an additional destination. “We had a direct service between Kochi and Madurai for a shorter period in 2012-13. It’s good that it is coming back,” he said.
Stating that international passengers who land at Kochi and Chennai touch Madurai during their visits to Thekkadi and Kumarakom, Mr. Sriram said that the road travel takes at least seven hours.
“Even the two trains linking Madurai and Kochi takes lot of time. But, air travel would take just 45 minutes and save lot of travel time for the international tourists,” he said.
However, he was sceptical about the Madurai-Kochi flight schedule. “It is a little bit odd as it takes off at 12.15 a.m. and reaches Kochi at 1 a.m. Nevertheless, it provides an alternate travel mode for the passengers,” he said.
Mr. Shyam Sundar said that the odd timing was due to the constraint on the available slot at Singapore. “However, we are looking at patronage from international passengers flying from Singapore to Kochi,” he added.
He said that Air India Express strategy was to provide direct connectivity between two cities where other airlines were not operating.
