The Chennai airport may soon have international flights as part of the ‘air bubble’ arrangement, wherein India has entered into bilateral agreements with other countries to resume international operations in a small way.
In this regard, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has written to the State government and requested it to allow a limited number of flights to the city to recommence international flights, sources said.
“The AAI has requested permission to handle 750 to 1,000 passengers a day for flights that arrive as part of the ‘air bubble’ arrangement. This means there will be about 4 to 5 flights a day to various destinations to and from the city,” a source said.
So far, India has signed agreements with seven countries, including the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, the Maldives, Qatar and UAE. Italy, New Zealand, Singapore, Russia, the Philippines, Japan, Bahrain, Kenya, Israel, South Korea and Thailand are under consideration for now.
However, it is still unclear as to which airlines and destinations will be considered for the city airport.
More domestic flights
The AAI has also asked the State government to increase the number of domestic flights. Right now, there are about 65-70 flights operating and of that only 25 flights can arrive from other States. The AAI wants to increase the daily flight count to 100 in order to handle more passengers.
“They had asked us to send a proposal a few days back. We are hoping to get approval soon. There are more relaxations now and people are gradually beginning to travel for important needs. We need to have more flights in the coming weeks,” an official said.