Madurai airport with all its potential for growth in international flight services that could have a cascading effect on industrial and economic growth of southern Tamil Nadu is being ignored - be it expansion of the airport and provision of basic facilities such as round-the-clock operation, says Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
According to its president N. Jegatheesan, “Bilateral air services agreement, which is reviewed every two years, has not included popular international destinations such as countries in the Gulf region and Malaysia for operating flight services from Madurai. At least the Union Government should award point of call facility for Madurai airport so that foreign airliners can operate their services linking Madurai with international destinations.
“This is a tricky situation. Domestic airliners do not have enough aircraft to operate flight services to new international destinations as few of them have gone sick. With point of call facility not extended to Madurai, foreign airliners, who have evinced interest in operating to and from Madurai, are also not permitted to do so,” he said.
Besides, Madurai airport continued to have the status of ‘only a customs airport with international flight connectivity’ and not an ‘international airport’ as per definition of Ministry of Civil Aviation. “Had it been declared an international airport, facilities such as visa-on-arrival could be given to foreign tourists that could give a fillip to tourism in Madurai. Besides, international connectivity to more destinations will also come up,” said its senior president S. Rethinavelu.
He wondered how airports with lesser international passenger patronage such as Coimbatore, Vijayawada and Tirupati got international airport status. “In the last eight months, Madurai airport handled 2.54 lakh international passengers as against 1.8 lakh passengers by Coimbatore and lesser number by other airports,” Mr. Rethinavelu said.
Mr. Jegatheesan said lack of permanent plant and quarantine officer at Madurai airport hindered perishable goods movement to international destinations. “Only a single Plant and Quarantine Officer has been deputed for Madurai airport. He is available only between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on working days. No flowers or vegetables cab be exported in his absence on weekends and holidays,” he said.
This had forced one particular exporter from Madurai to move around 30 tonnes of vegetables every week through neighbouring airports, he said.
Inordinate delay in providing round-the-clock flight services from Madurai airport has prevented at least two additional flight services coming to Madurai. “While lack of adequate number of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel was initially cited for not permitting round-the-clock services, the Union Home Ministry had withdrawn its order sanctioning additional 76 CISF personnel as night services were not started,” Mr. Jegatheesan said.
Chamber secretary J. Selvam said all these shortcomings had been explained to Theni MP O.P. Raveendranath Kumar who promised to take up the issue in the Parliament.
Mr. Rethinavelu expressed doubts that some parties with vested interests were blocking development of Madurai airport.