New-look Thoothukudi Airport ready with extended runway to receive larger flights even after dusk
When the port town found a place in India's air traffic map in 1992, Thoothukudi became the second town in Tamil Nadu after Chennai to have air, sea, road and rail connectivity. Pinning hopes on the heavier industries and the seaport of Thoothukudi, 'Vayudoot Airlines', a regional airline, commenced its service to Thoothukudi this year as its flight landed on April 13, 1992 on the 1,350-long airstrip capable of handling only smaller aircraft. However, poor patronage put an end to this service within next 14 months.
After a gap of three years, Thoothukudi Airport became alive again as NEPC resumed air service from Chennai to Thoothukudi via Kochi that consumed four-and-a-half hours, and the tiring, long travel kept the fliers away from taking flights to Chennai. And, the service came to an end again within next six months.
Following repeated appeals to the government from the business community and the industrialists of Thoothukudi, budget carrier Air Deccan started its service on April 1, 2006. After the passenger traffic grew feverishly, two private carriers are offering nine services to Chennai and Bengaluru every day, and all the flights are almost full on any given day, as 'Thoothukudi flight' is the first choice for even the middle class families and their children working in software companies.
'In May 2025 alone, Thoothukudi Airport has handled more than 20,000 passengers. On May 13 alone, more than 1,000 passengers were handled, which shows the phenomenal growth of this airport which once had to be closed down due to poor patronage in its early days,' an AAI official recalled.
With the number of passengers swelling manifold, the Airports Authority of India has now expanded the runway from 1,350 meters to 3,115 meters by acquiring over 600 acres of land on the eastern and western sides of the airport. An additional 110 acres of land have been assigned for the Indian Air Force and Indian Coast Guard flights. Runway width has been increased from 30 meters to 45 meters for handling larger aircraft like A320.
The new terminal building with 17,341 square meter area with four entry gates, 21 check-in counters, seven baggage scanner, three aerobridges, 644 seats, isolation areas, five aircraft parking bays, a fire station, extended airstrip and night landing facilities have been created on an outlay of ₹381 crore to handle wide-bodied aircraft. Hence, most of the Indian cities including capital New Delhi and financial capital Mumbai are to be connected by air in near future.
After the expansion, the Thoothukudi airport can handle up five aircrafts simultaneously and up to 1,400 passengers per hour which stood at just 156 earlier. More than 400 vehicles can be parked.
'The Prime Minister's Aircraft will be the first wide-bodied flight to land in Thoothukudi airport on August 26 around 8 p.m. as he will be flown from The Maldives. After formally inaugurating the new-look airport, the Prime Minister will leave for Tiruchi around 9.30 p.m.,' AAI officials said.
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