Increase air connectivity from city: Industrialists

It is time for the state government to speed up land acquisition process for airport expansion in the city and increase air connectivity, say industrialists and frequent fliers.
They say adding more flights can be the short-term objective but increasing the size of the airport and facilities should be the long-term objective, if the airport plans to contribute to the district’s development.
Though Coimbatorians consider the airport’s passenger traffic figures as a sign of district’s economic growth, they say the city’s traffic in comparison to other tier-II cities is a stark reminder that it needs more flights. “We will have more passengers only if we have more flights. Most flights flying out of the city, run almost full,” said Vanitha Mohan, vice chairperson, Kongu Global Forum. “This airport serves seven districts in the state plus Palakkad, and most of them are business districts. We also have tourist destinations. And we still are showing less fliers than airports which serve lesser populations,” she added.
Mohan said we must take a count of number of passengers from the district who chose to take flights out of Kochi, because it offers a shorter flight and transit, not to mention the more cost-effective factor. “They are also Coimbatore passengers,” she said.
Many industrialists say the state government should show more interest in Coimbatore district’s development, even if it means supporting the central government projects. “They should finish acquisition of 675 acres for the airport expansion project and hand it over to the central government. The Centre will invest only if it gets the land. However, there is progress, so we hope it will come soon,” president of Residents Awareness Association of Coimbatore R Raveendran said. “For a district that is getting so many investments in terms of defence and automobiles, among others, we need more international connectivity,” he added.
“So far, the aviation ministry just keeps giving us technical excuses for not adding more flights and destinations. It is now left to our politicians to put pressure on the state and central governments,” he added.