more-in Even as passenger traffic growth at the international airport is on the rise, the Tiruchi Travel Federation (TTF) has come with out a detailed market potential of Tiruchi for augmenting domestic air connectivity to different cities from here. Representatives of the TTF have planned to take up the issue of augmenting domestic connectivity from Tiruchi to key cities in the country with certain private airlines by showcasing the city’s market potential. The Federation has drawn up a detailed profile of Tiruchi highlighting its strength in diverse areas including industry, education, health and tourism among others. Finer details regarding the history of Tiruchi airport and how it developed over the years as an international one; salient features of the airport; present connectivity to overseas and domestic destinations, number of airlines operating flights from Tiruchi at present and the scope for expanding domestic connectivity to key cities also form part of the profile drawn up by the Federation. The percentage of share of Foreign Tourists Arrival at Tiruchi and other international airports in the country and the market segment in the domestic traffic have also been compiled. Tiruchi is a unique non metro airport with more services to overseas destinations as compared to domestic connectivity. The airport today has direct flight connectivity only to Chennai in the domestic sector with the services being operated by the Jet Airways and more recently by Air Carnival. Despite operation of smaller type ATR aircrafts to Chennai, the domestic passenger growth has shown an upward trend. According to Airports Authority of India statistics, the total number of domestic passengers handled at the Tiruchi airport in 2015-16 fiscal was over 1.47 lakh. The figures rose to 1.68 lakh during the 2016-17 financial year. According to TTF there was immense potential in operating flights to major cities such as Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad from Tiruchi which also has a host of industries in the adjoining districts. A few years ago Air India operated flight to Mumbai from Tiruchi which was suspended thereafter despite good patronage. The Federation has come out with suggestions for combining cities such as Tiruchi – Chennai – Mumbai, Tiruchi – Chennai – Delhi, Tiruchi – Hyderabad – Delhi and Tiruchi – Bengaluru – Mumbai if direct flights to these destinations were not feasible. “There is a definite potential now for private airlines to operate flights to key cities as suggested by the TTF”, says the Federation’s joint secretary S.A. Mubashir. If daily flights were not possible, airlines could explore the possibility of operating services thrice a week from Tiruchi to these cities, adds Mubashir. Having compiled the market potential of Tiruchi, the TTF representatives have plans to meet certain private airlines and make a power point presentation regarding Tiruchi’s potential, he further said. In June last year, the Tiruchi airport authorities wrote separate letters to private airlines IndiGo and SpiceJet appealing to them to operate in the Tiruchi – Mumbai – Tiruchi sector. Though Bengaluru –based Fly Easy evinced interest in operating a service in the Tiruchi – Bengaluru sector a couple of years ago, however it failed to take off.

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