COIMBATORES enhanced stature as an emerging information technology hub and an exporter of industrial goods has led to a sharp increase in air passenger traffic to the city. About 4,000 passengers pass through Coimbatore Airport every day. Until a few years ago, only Indian and Jet Air operated flights to Coimbatore. Today passengers are spoiled for choice with Paramount, Jetlite, Air Deccan, Kingfisher and Spicejet operating domestic flights and SilkAir, a regional wing of Singapore Airlines, Air India and Gulf Air operating international flights from Coimbatore Airport.
The passenger movement has gone up by 26 per cent on an average this year compared to last year. We are expecting an increase of 30 per cent in the coming financial year. In some months, it touches 35 per cent, said K. Hemalatha, Director, Coimbatore Airport, Airports Authority of India.
The city is going to have a modern airport with an extended runway by March in order to accommodate wide-bodied aircraft and cope with increasing traffic, she said. The Tamil Nadu government has been approached for acquiring land for the extension project. Construction of a parallel taxi track has been contemplated in order to minimise the runway occupancy time and turnaround time of aircraft.
Hemalatha said plans were on to expand the area of the terminal building to 14,700 square metres at a cost of Rs.78 crore in order to accommodate 700 passengers during peak time. The present capacity is 300 passengers. The expanded terminal building with vitrified flooring will be totally air-conditioned. It will have sliding doors, two aerobridges with the visual docking guidance system, four escalators, four elevators and modern systems for baggage-handling, Hemalatha said.
The expanded complex will have a modern arrival hall. The existing terminal building will be modified to match the specifications of the expanded building. An important criterion for building a passenger terminal building is that a passenger should not feel locked inside. The modified and expanded terminal building will be made passenger-friendly. The building will conform to international standards, Hemalatha said.
In order to step up security, a closed-circuit television surveillance system, additional X-ray machines for checking the baggage, and other measures will be introduced.
T.S. SubramanianCOMMents
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