Jump to content

Tiruchirappalli International Airport

Coordinates: 10°45′56″N 078°42′54″E / 10.76556°N 78.71500°E / 10.76556; 78.71500
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Tiruchirappalli Airport)

Tiruchirappalli International Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerMinistry of Civil Aviation
OperatorAirports Authority of India
ServesTiruchirapalli
LocationTiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
Opened23 December 1936; 87 years ago (1936-12-23)
Operating base forAir India Express
Elevation AMSL87.7 m / 288 ft
Coordinates10°45′56″N 078°42′54″E / 10.76556°N 78.71500°E / 10.76556; 78.71500
Websitewww.aai.aero/en/airports/tiruchirapalli
Map
TRZ is located in Tiruchirapalli
TRZ
TRZ
TRZ is located in Tamil Nadu
TRZ
TRZ
TRZ is located in India
TRZ
TRZ
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
09/27 2,480 8,136 Asphalt
Statistics (April 2022 - March 2023)
Passengers1,514,260 (Increase 36.7%)
Aircraft movements14,314 (Increase 8.3%)
Cargo tonnage6,593 (Increase 3.7%)
Source: AAI[1][2][3]

Tiruchirappalli International Airport (IATA: TRZ, ICAO: VOTR) is an international airport serving Tiruchirappalli in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The airport, spread over an area of 702.02 acres (284.10 ha), is located on National Highway 336, about 5 km (3.1 mi) south of the city centre.[4] As of 2024, it is the 31st busiest airport in India for passengers handled and 10th busiest for total international aircraft movement. It is the third-busiest airport in the state in terms of passengers served after Chennai and Coimbatore,[5] and the second-busiest airport in the state in terms of international connectivity, after Chennai.[5]

The airport handled by Airports Authority of India is served by two Indian and five foreign carriers providing direct connectivity to four domestic and ten international destinations. The airport is ISO 9001:2008 quality certified and was declared as an international airport in October 2012.[6][7] The airport's oldest terminal was converted into a cargo complex, while a new passenger terminal was built with three aerobridges. In January 2024, a new integrated passenger terminal was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

History

[edit]

Pre-World War II

[edit]

The first known history of commercial flight landing at the airport dates back to 23 December 1936 when Tata Sons, Ltd. operated an Indo-Ceylon special airmail service between Madras and Colombo via Trichinopoly carrying Christmas mails connecting their regular airmail service between Karachi and Madras via Bhuj, Ahmedabad, Bombay, Hyderabad. The Special "Goodwill Flight" was operated by Miles M4A Merlin aircraft registered as VT-AHC and piloted by H. D. Barucha, the return flight to Madras via Trichinopoly occurred the next day.[8] This flight was a precursor for the extension of their regular Karachi-Madras Airmail service until Colombo via Trichinopoly, which began operations on 28 February 1938.[9] There is evidence of weekly Air Mail service in operation on the Bombay-Goa-Cananore-Trivandrum-Tirchinopoly route during early 1937 which later made connection to the Karachi-Colombo Air Mail service at Trichinopoly.[10]

World War II

[edit]

During World War II, RAF Station Kajamalai was established at the airfield and used by the British Royal Air Force.[11] The base started operating during May 1942 and until the beginning of 1944 the base was primarily used for repair and maintenance of warplanes which on landing were taken to a workshop at Ponmalai 2 km away. [citation needed] The airfield gained prominence during 1944 when planes were brought for calibration and other training activities also ferry flights started using the airfield. During second half of 1944, three squadrons were operating out of the airfield. At the end of war the airfield served as Staging Post and Personnel Transit Centre due to its prominent location.

Flying squadrons
Squadron From Till Aircraft
No. 20 Squadron RAF 31 July 1944 21 September 1944 Hawker Hurricane Mk IID[12][13]
No. 5 Squadron RAF 29 October 1944 14 December 1944 Republic Thunderbolt Mk I,Mk II[14]
No. 123 Squadron RAF 29 October 1944 3 December 1944 Republic Thunderbolt Mk II[15]

Various units also located at the airfield during and after the war:

  • Nos 121, 101, and 138 Repair & Salvage Units (1942–1945)[13]
  • Air Stores/Equipment Park (1942–1945)
  • No. 2 Civil Maintenance Unit (1943–1946)
  • Headquarters for No. 173 Wing RAF (25 Nov 1942 - 19 October 1943) and No. 171 Wing RAF (1 August-8 November 1943)
  • No. 1580 Calibration Flight (February 1944 - October 1945); No. 1583 Calibration Flight (to 15 November 1945)[13]
  • Ferry flights (April 1944 - February 1946)
  • No. 156 Staging Post (March 1945 - April 1946)
  • No. 60 Personnel Transit Centre (September 1945 - November 1945)

Post-World War II

[edit]

When the Ceylon government asked permission to operate flights between Colombo and Trichinopoly in 1947,[16] the Indian government improved the aerodrome for full functioning and allowed flight operations to Colombo in 1948.[17] On 3 December 1948, Air Ceylon inaugurated a regular weekly commercial service between Colombo and Karachi, using a Dakota flight via Tiruchirappalli and Bombay.[18] During 1950, Air Ceylon operated dedicated daily flights from Colombo to Tiruchirappalli via Jaffna.[19] During 1952, Air India operated daily flights on the Bombay-Madras-Tiruchirappalli-Colombo route,[20] which was later transferred to Indian airlines operated on Madras-Tiruchirappalli-Colombo route.

Beginning in the late 1950s, Tiruchirappalli was connected by domestic service with Madras, Madurai, Cochin and Trivandrum by Indian Airlines at different routings during different periods of time. During the 1990s, Indian Airlines started connecting Trichy with Middle Eastern cities like Kuwait and Sharjah. During the 2000s, it also connected Trichy with Ras-Al-Khaimah and Fujairah. Indian Airlines operated up until it was merged with Air India. Starting from late 2000, Trichy was connected with South East Asian destinations like Kuala Lumpur and Singapore by foreign airlines. Air India Express also started connecting Trichy with both Middle East and South East Asian destinations.

The airport was categorised as a customs airport until 4 October 2012, when it was given international status by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.[21][22]

Terminals

[edit]

The airport has three adjacent terminals. The original passenger terminal has been converted into an international cargo complex housing the control tower and technical block. In 2009 this was replaced with a modern integrated passenger terminal, which became inactive when the new integrated passenger terminal began operations for both international and domestic air traffic.

New integrated passenger terminal

[edit]
View of Trichy Airport New Terminal Roof Design
View of the new terminal

Currently all passenger movements are handled from the new Integrated Passenger Terminal which was inaugurated on 2 January 2024 [23] and began operations from 11 June 2024. The building has an area of 75,000 m2 (810,000 sq ft), with capacity to handle 4.5 million passengers per year and peak-hour handling capacity of 3,480 passengers. It has been constructed as per Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) four-star rating standards was constructed at a cost of 11.12 billion (US$130 million)

The terminal's design is inspired by the monuments of Tiruchirapalli, festivals like Pongal, art forms like kolam and ancient Tamil architecture forms like gopurams, placed on both sides of the entrance gates. The large roof of the terminal over the departure concourse is derived from traditional southern Indian architecture. A big temple tower-like structure, resembling the Ranganathaswamy temple, for which Tiruchirapalli is known worldwide, welcomes passengers at the airport. The terminal roof, flooring patterns, column cladding, feature walls and the signage design are inspired by local arts, culture and traditions.[24]

The terminal is situated on the existing airport land available on the southern side, for which a new four-lane elevated access road has been built from the NH-336 passing beside the original terminal.[25]

The Salient features[26] of the terminal is as following:

  • 12 flights per hour handling capacity
  • 11 Boarding Gates with 5 aerobridges
  • 26 domestic and 34 international check-in counters
  • 60 immigration counters
  • 44 emigration counters
  • 5 Baggage Carousels
  • 3 VIP Lounges
  • 4 domestic and 15 international X-ray Baggage scanning systems
  • Parking for 1000 cars, 250 taxis, and 10 buses with Electric charging bays

The terminal was designed by a French company, Egis Group, in partnership with the British architectural firm, Pascall+Watson, as the project managers, completed the design and plan for construction by March 2018.[27] The tender for construction was awarded to ITD Cementation India Limited in August 2018.[28] Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the construction of the new terminal through video conferencing from Tiruppur, on 10 February 2019.[29]

Integrated passenger terminal

[edit]
View of Old Integrated Terminal Building
View of Old Integrated Terminal Building

Until 11 June 2024 operations were handled from the Integrated passenger Terminal. On 11 June 2024 all the operations were shifted from Integrated Passenger Terminal to New Integrated Passenger Terminal. The future usage of this Integrated Passenger Terminal is undecided which was built at a cost of 800 million (US$9.6 million) was inaugurated on 21 February 2009 and operations started from 1 June 2009.[30] The two-story terminal has a floor area of 11,777 m2 (126,770 sq ft) with handling capacity of 0.49 million passengers per annum and peak hour capacity of 470 passengers. Some of the features of the terminal include:[31]

  • 12 check-in counters
  • 4 customs counters (1 departure + 3 arrival)
  • 16 immigration counters (8 departure + 8 arrival)
  • 3 conveyor belts (47 m (154 ft) each)
  • 1 baggage assistance counter
  • 1 health officer counter
  • 5 X-ray scanners for baggage (3 for registered baggage and 2 for hand baggage)[32]
  • 4 security check units
  • 210 CISF strength
  • Total aircraft stands = 7
    • 3 for code D aircraft
    • 4 for code C aircraft
  • 3 aerobridges
  • Parking space for 300 vehicles

The integrated terminal had two lounges, VIP lounge and commercial important persons (CIP) lounge which were managed by AAI.

Cargo terminal

[edit]
Cargo terminal

The old terminal was converted into an international cargo complex at a cost of ₹ 10 million.[33] The 4,000 m2 (43,000 sq ft) cargo complex was commissioned for operations on 21 November 2011. The export wing occupies 2,193 m2 (23,610 sq ft) and 1,750 m2 (18,800 sq ft) for the import wing.[34] The Central Board of Excise and Customs had earlier approved and notified the airport as an air cargo complex.[35] The one-time holding capacity of the cargo terminal is 250 metric tonnes.[36] The airport is the gateway for foreign export, as there is no easy way for export from the central region of Tamil Nadu.[37]

On 12 July 2013, the Ministry of Finance notified the airport for international courier cargo movement. However, the facilities for the same are yet to be set up by AAI.[when?][38]

On 11 October 2013, a five-metric ton capacity cold storage facility was inaugurated at the cargo section. This facility will be helpful during flight delay, flight cancellation, advance booking and holiday bookings of cargo.[39]

On 21 April 2017, a dedicated import cargo facility was created on 190 m2 (2,000 sq ft) at a cost of 2 million (US$24,000) to encourage more imports through the airport. At present, the imports are very minimal as compared with the exports. On 1 July 2017, EDI facility was introduced at the cargo terminal. With this facility, speedy and electronic clearance of freight is assured eliminating the manual process, making the export process more simple. This is expected to pave the way for additional commodities being exported from the airport.[40]

Facilities

[edit]

Runway

[edit]
Runways at Tiruchirappalli Airport
Runway number Length Width Strength (PCN) ILS[41]
09/27 2,427 m (7,963 ft) 45 m (148 ft) 68/F/A/W/T NIL / CAT I
15/33 (Closed) 1,456 m (4,777 ft) 45 m (148 ft) 15/F/B/W/T NIL / NIL

The airport's older runway, 15/33, was closed as part of early development, and is now used as an alternate taxiway to the apron. The re-carpeting work on the active runway 09/27 was completed during February 2020 to July 2021, after 10 years, at a cost of 200 million (US$2.4 million).[42][43]

Apron and taxiway

[edit]
View of Apron
Parking bays at Tiruchirappalli Airport[44]
Stand numbers PCN Aircraft Remarks
1-4 70/R/C/W/T B739/A321 or below Concrete surface
5-7 84/R/B/W/T B767-200 or below Concrete surface with aerobridges
8 68/R/B/W/T A321 or below Concrete surface
9 Under construction[42]
10-20 87/R/B/W/T A321 or below Concrete surface with aerobridges
ISO Bay 64/R/B/W/T A321 or below Concrete surface

Stands 10-20 became active on 31 December 2023 located in the new apron of 15,580 sq.m. size built as part of the new terminal.[45]

Before January 2024, there were four taxiways designated as A, B, C and D. On 31 December 2023, along with the new apron, parallel taxiway E1, E2, E3 and four new taxiways F, G, H and J were activated.[44]

Air traffic control

[edit]
ATC tower in old terminal building

All the aircraft flying in the Tiruchirappalli control area and operated out of Tiruchirappalli Airport are handled from the air traffic control (ATC) tower located in the cargo terminal building. Trichy ATC is one of the oldest towers in India, and began operations on 5 November 1960.

Along with the new terminal project AAI has proposed to construct a new Category-II technical block cum air traffic control tower.[46] Initially it was proposed to construct a 42.5 meters tall tower, but after a feasibility study was done to increase the height to 75 meters,[47] it was finalised to be 46 meters tall, including the top antenna. Tenders for the construction were floated at a cost of 51.49 crores in July 2022. Work began in July 2023 and was expected to take two years.[48]

Salient features of the project are:

  • ATC tower cum technical block with built up area of 8,272.56 m2 (89,045.1 sq ft)
  • Service/utility building area of 900 m2 (9,700 sq ft)
  • Height of Technical Block is 20.4 m (67 ft)
  • Height of ATC tower is 41 m (135 ft), and including the top of the antenna, is 46 m (151 ft).
  • Separate parking space with capacity of 79 four wheelers and 51 two wheelers

Madras Flying Club

[edit]

The Madras Flying Club started in 1929 during the Madras Presidency during British Raj. Operated previously in Chennai Airport premises, it had to shift its operations to Tiruchirapalli due to congestion and operational difficulties.[49][50] The academy began its operations at the airport on 10 January 2020, where they have placed 6 training aircraft at the hangar, which was previously used by V.K.N. Aviation Academy. They also have created three computer-aided smart classrooms facility in the airport. The Government of Tamil Nadu has allocated two acres (0.81 ha) of its land adjoining to the airport for the club to set up its operational infrastructure.[51]

Airlines and destinations

[edit]
AirlinesDestinations
AirAsia Kuala Lumpur–International[52]
Air India Express[53] Abu Dhabi,[54] Doha,[55] Dubai–International,[55] Jeddah,[56] Kuwait City,[57] Muscat,[58] Sharjah,[55] Singapore[59]
Batik Air Malaysia Kuala Lumpur–International[60]
IndiGo Bangalore,[61] Chennai,[62] Hyderabad,[61] Mumbai,[63] Singapore[59]
Scoot Singapore[59]
SriLankan Airlines Colombo–Bandaranaike[64]
Thai AirAsia Bangkok–Don Mueang[65]

Expansion

[edit]

Tiruchirappalli Airport has been undergoing expansion since 2004. The runway was extended from 1,800 m (6,000 ft) to 2,480 m (8,136 ft), the apron expanded to hold seven aircraft, the fire station upgraded, a new taxiway and the current integrated passenger terminal were constructed.

The Phase II expansion on 210 ha (510 acres) by AAI includes extending the runway to 3,800 m (12,500 ft), construction of a modern, new Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower, an additional building complex and other works.[66] The Government of Tamil Nadu has agreed to provide land free to AAI for the expansion.

The airport is one of the non-metro airports selected for 200 crore (US$24 million) city side development on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.[67]

New integrated passenger terminal

[edit]

Due to the consistent increase in the air traffic, the existing integrated passenger terminal building became insufficient. Initially, it was planned to expand the existing integrated terminal by 180 meters on both sides, by constructing an additional 17,920 m2 (192,900 sq ft) area to increase the passenger handling capacity to 1,075 peak-hour passengers,[68] but later, the Ministry of Civil Aviation initiated the construction of a new two-level passenger terminal at a cost of 951 crore (equivalent to 11 billion or US$130 million in 2023).[69] during February 2019 and completed at a cost of 11.12 billion (US$130 million) and began operations on 11 June 2024.

The expansion project includes the following:

  • Two-level integrated terminal building with new apron and parking space for 1000 cars
  • New Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower and a technical block
  • Upgrade of the fire station to Category 10
  • Expansion of the cargo terminal
  • Airport systems
  • City-side development
  • Rehabilitation of the AAI residential colony and CISF accommodation, consisting of 118 units

Runway extension

[edit]

The current runway at the airport is one of the shortest runways among all the international airports in India. The original runway was planned to be expanded in two phases. Phase 1 is completed, and as part of the Phase 2 expansion, the runway is planned to be extended to 3,200 m (10,500 ft) initially from the existing 2,480 m (8,140 ft), and later to 3,800 m (12,500 ft). AAI has sought land to the Government of Tamil Nadu and once land sought for the expansion is available, the extension would take place. The district administration has expressed its willingness to pay the market price for the land to be acquired. But the extension of the runway is pending for a long time due to delays in acquiring land.

The AAI has sought around 510 acres (210 ha) of land for the current expansion. Of the total about 188 acres (76 ha) are dry land, 116 acres (47 ha) wetland, 164.68 acres (66.64 ha) defense land, 40.59 acres (16.43 ha) wasteland and 5.8 acres (2.3 ha) is with Hindu Religious and Charitable Trust. To facilitate fast process on the airport expansion, a joint technical advisory committee involving the departments of agriculture, public works department and revenue had been formed during 2012, which is chaired by Member of Tiruchirapalli Parliamentary Constituency. The current MP of Trichy Mr.Durai Vaiko after election as first order of his business has met the civil aviation minister on 1 July 2024 and demanded for faster action from AAI side to expand the runway as Land acquisition is nearing completion from Local Administration side.[70] The district administration had formed a special team comprising the airport director, revenue divisional officer, joint director of agriculture, officials of Public Works Department, and other agencies concerned to expedite the land acquisition process.[71]

The state government has provided administrative sanction to acquire nearly 345.62 acres (139.87 ha) in May 2017, including dry and wet lands, besides 40 acres (16 ha) of government land. It has been decided to form a team to work on the exercise of land acquisition and payment of compensation.[72] During December 2017, the deputy director general of Defence Estates has provided in principle approval for providing 337.7 acres (136.7 ha) of land to the AAI, in lieu of land of “equal value” from the state government. The District Administration is also in process of acquiring residential buildings.[73]

Apron expansion

[edit]

The AAI has expanded the existing apron with the construction of a third aerobridge and ramp equipment area, measuring 2,800 sq.m. at an estimated cost of 22.5 million (US$270,000), which became active in January 2019.[74] The Ministry of Civil Aviation initiated the plan to expand the apron to provide two more aircraft bays, increasing the bay count to nine.[68] Work on additional bays was started in February 2020 at an estimated cost of 10 million (US$120,000),[42] Work on one of the bays has been completed and operationalised. Construction of another bay has not started as of January 2024, due to technical constraints. As part of the construction of the new terminal, an additional apron of 15,580 m2 (167,700 sq ft) size was constructed for parking up to 11 code C aircraft type, along with an isolation bay and GSE area including taxi tracks was completed by 31 December 2023.

Connectivity

[edit]

Located on the Pudukottai-Trichy National Highway 336 the airport is well connected with frequent City buses to the major bus and railway terminals of the city like Central Bus Stand, Chatram Bus Stand, Srirangam and Trichy Junction. In addition to this, exclusive buses were introduced to originate inside the airport premise destined to Thanjavur, Central Bus Stand and Karur.[75]

Maintenance facilities

[edit]
  • Air Works has line maintenance facility[76] to conduct transit checks on Airbus A320 type aircraft, which is the First Line Maintenance facility of Air Works. It was opened on behalf of Singapore-based Scoot for its aircraft maintenance.[77]
  • Air India Express has an engineering stores complex for service and repairs of its aircraft. It helps quick turn around. Repair works could be carried out here. Initially, four licensed engineers and eight technicians were posted to meet the service and repair requirements of aircraft. The stores would have adequate spares and equipment.[78]

Awards

[edit]

In March 2023, the airport was awarded as the Best Airport In the Asia-Pacific Region in the category of under 2 million passengers per annum by Airports Council International.[79]

Accidents and incidents

[edit]
  • On 21 December 1949, Air Ceylon flight from Colombo Ratamalana to Trichinopoly via Jaffna Kankesanturai operated by Douglas DC-3 Dakota aircraft named "Sunethra Devi" and registered as VP-CAT crash landed at Trichinopoly Aerodrome. The accident was caused by engine trouble which was noticed after takeoff from Jaffna. There were no fatalities but all three crew members along with one of the 21 passengers sustained injuries. The aircraft was heavily damaged beyond any repair.[80][81]
  • On 25 December 1965, a non-scheduled Douglas DC-3 aircraft registered as VT-DUC met with an accident while landing at the airport due to pilot error. The aircraft had substantial damage with injuries to one passenger and two crew members.[82]
  • On 29 May 1980, Indian Airlines flight IC529, a Boeing 737-200 aircraft registered as VT-EGD, was operating on Chennai-Tiruchirappalli flight with 122 passengers and 6 crew members. During the landing the commander was not able to align the aircraft properly so requested and started performing go-around, during which the left wing came into contact with the runway. The flight returned to Chennai and landed safely with substantial damage to the plane which was rectified.[83]
  • On 11 October 2018, Air India Express flight IX611 to Dubai operated by Boeing 737-800 registered as VT-AYD suffered a tail strike, hit the ILS system and boundary wall while taking off at 1:18 AM. The pilots continued the flight against Boeing's tail strike checklist, reassured by normal instrumentation. When the plane was nearing the Middle East, the pilot was ordered to fly to Mumbai. It landed safely, with no one sustaining any injuries. The fuselage, engine cowling and flight control surfaces were severely damaged with debris lodged in the landing gear.[84][85][86]
  • On 11 October 2024, Air India Express Flight IX613, a Boeing 737-800 aircraft registered as VT-AYB flying from Tiruchirappalli to Sharjah, suffered an hydraulic failure in its landing gear assembly. After engaging in an holding pattern over Trichy for over two hours, the flight with 141 passengers landed safely.[87][88]

Naming the airport

[edit]

In 2012, a request was made to name the airport after scientist C. V. Raman, who was from the city.[89] There have been requests made to rename the airport after former former President of India A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, .[90]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Annexure III – Passenger Data (PDF) (Report). Airports Authority of India. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 June 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  2. ^ Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data (PDF) (Report). Airports Authority of India. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 June 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  3. ^ Annexure IV – Freight Movement Data (PDF) (Report). Airports Authority of India. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 April 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  4. ^ "Tiruchirapalli Airport". Airports Authority of India. Archived from the original on 31 May 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  5. ^ a b "AAI air traffic News". Airports Authority of India. 30 October 2020. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  6. ^ "ISO Certification of Airports Under Various Standards" (PDF). Airports Authority of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2010. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
  7. ^ "PM gives infrastructure boost to sagging economy". Business Line. 7 June 2012. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
  8. ^ "First Air Mail for Colombo". The Indian Express. 25 December 1936. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2018 – via Google News.
  9. ^ "1936 - Madras to Colombo via Trichinopoly". Archived from the original on 21 July 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  10. ^ "1938 - Trichinopoly - Trivandrum extension". Archived from the original on 21 July 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  11. ^ "RAF Trichinopoly". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  12. ^ "No. 20 Squadron (RAF) during the Second World War". Historyofwar.org. Archived from the original on 14 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  13. ^ a b c "Stations-T". Archived from the original on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  14. ^ "No. 5 Squadron (RAF) during the Second World War". Historyofwar.org. Archived from the original on 14 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  15. ^ "No. 123 Squadron (RAF) during the Second World War". Historyofwar.org. Archived from the original on 28 December 2019. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  16. ^ "Colombo-Trichy Air Service". The Indian Express. 3 November 1947. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2018 – via Google News.
  17. ^ "Civil Aviation in Madras". The Indian Express. 5 February 1948. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2018 – via Google News.
  18. ^ "Kolombo-Karachi Air Service". The Indian Express. 27 November 1948. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2018 – via Google News.
  19. ^ "Timetables". Archived from the original on 16 December 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  20. ^ "Timetables". Archived from the original on 16 December 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  21. ^ "Press Information Bureau English Releases". Pib.nic.in. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
  22. ^ "Cabinet grants intl airport status to five airports". DNA. PTI. 4 October 2012. Archived from the original on 2 January 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  23. ^ "PM Modi inaugurates airport terminal in Trichy, launches projects worth over Rs 20,000 cr". The Economic Times. 2 January 2024. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  24. ^ Arockiaraj, Vincent D. (31 December 2023). "Airport terminal design influenced by southern architecture". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  25. ^ Rajaram, R. (24 August 2018). "Tiruchi airport's new terminal takes shape". Financial Express. Archived from the original on 2 October 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  26. ^ "Trichy airport operations shifts to new terminal from today". The Times of India. 11 June 2024. Archived from the original on 14 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  27. ^ "New passenger terminal building for airport". The Hindu. 8 July 2017. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  28. ^ "New airport terminal to be ready by 2021". The Times of India. 24 September 2018. Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  29. ^ Tiruchirapalli (11 February 2019). "PM lays foundation stone for integrated passenger terminal". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  30. ^ "Trichy Airport new terminal inauguration". The Hindu. 18 February 2009. Archived from the original on 9 April 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  31. ^ "Trichy Airport new terminal". Equity Bulls. 22 February 2009. Archived from the original on 28 February 2009. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  32. ^ "Airports Authority of India". AAI. 1 January 2013. Archived from the original on 20 June 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
  33. ^ "Trichy's int'l air cargo terminal opens at Trichy airport". The Times of India. TNN. 22 November 2011. Archived from the original on 1 July 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  34. ^ "Cargo complex commissioned". The Hindu. 22 November 2011. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  35. ^ S. Ganesan (23 January 2011). "Air cargo complex at Tiruchi Airport soon". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 9 April 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  36. ^ Dennis Selvan (8 June 2012). "With new international tag, Trichy airport hopes to go for a makeover". The Times of India. TNN. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  37. ^ S. Ganesan (22 April 2011). "Air cargo complex in Tiruchi to start functioning from August 15". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 18 January 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  38. ^ Dennis Selvan (14 July 2013). "Trichy airport notified for courier cargo". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 20 May 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  39. ^ Dennis Selvan (10 October 2013). "Defence ministry likely to transfer land for Trichy airport runway expansion". The Times of India. TNN. Archived from the original on 13 September 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  40. ^ R Rajaram (15 June 2017). "Infrastructure ready for EDI facility at airport". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  41. ^ "eAIP" (PDF). AAI. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  42. ^ a b c Jan 24, D. Vincent Arockiaraj. "Runway re-carpeting, work on bays at Trichy international airport to begin in February". The Times of India.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  43. ^ Rajaram, R. (29 July 2021). "Runway resurfacing work over at Tiruchi airport". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 17 July 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  44. ^ a b "AIPS Data 2024" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 January 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  45. ^ "Notice for Tender" (PDF). 11 September 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  46. ^ "New ATC tower poised for take off as AAI grants NOC". The Hindu. 25 January 2019. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  47. ^ "AAI advocates 75 metre height for Air Traffic Control Tower". The Hindu. 30 May 2019. Archived from the original on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  48. ^ Rajaram, R. (12 July 2023). "New Air Traffic Control Tower-cum-Technical Block at Tiruchi international airport to be ready in two years". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  49. ^ "Contact – Madras Flying Club". Madras Flying Club. Archived from the original on 3 September 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  50. ^ "Madras Flying Club to be shifted to city". Trichy News. 3 December 2018. Archived from the original on 17 July 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  51. ^ Rajaram, R. (14 January 2020). "Madras Flying Club all set to take off from Tiruchi". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 14 January 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  52. ^ Correspondent, Special (10 March 2022). "Air Asia plans to resume daily service on Tiruchi - Kuala Lumpur sector". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 17 November 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2022. {{cite news}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  53. ^ "Our Network". Air India Express. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  54. ^ "UAE airlines restore more flights to India: Here are the renewed schedules". OnManorama. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  55. ^ a b c D. Vincent Arockiaraj. "In A 1st For Trichy, AIE To Hire Cabin Crew From Region". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 28 June 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  56. ^ "Air India Express to launch Trichy-Jeddah service on June 12". Travel Biz Momitor. 6 June 2024. Archived from the original on 13 June 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024. This flight will include a stopover in Mangaluru.
  57. ^ Jun 22, TNN / Updated. "AIE To operate 1 more weekly flight From Trichy To Kuwait". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 28 June 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  58. ^ D. Vincent Arockiaraj. "Covid pandemic unravels Trichy airport's potential". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 28 June 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  59. ^ a b c "Seven Additional Singapore Flights From Trichy". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 23 November 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  60. ^ "Batik Air expands Bali services". TTR Weekly. 12 June 2022. Archived from the original on 28 June 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  61. ^ a b D. Vincent Arockiaraj. "Seven new flights on Trichy-Bengaluru sector". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 18 November 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  62. ^ "Indigo, Air India Express resume flights to Dubai from Indian cities". Gulf news. Archived from the original on 17 November 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  63. ^ Ganesan, S. (10 October 2023). "IndiGo to operate daily service on Mumbai-Tiruchi-Mumbai sector from November 4". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  64. ^ "Sri Lankan Airlines to restart Tiruchi-Colombo service from Sept. 2". The Hindu. 25 August 2021. Archived from the original on 17 November 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  65. ^ "Thai Air Asia adds Bangkok service from September 2024". Aeroroutes. Archived from the original on 6 June 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  66. ^ S.Ganesan (15 September 2010). "Phase 2 expansion works". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 18 January 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  67. ^ "Trichy Airport shines in India's airport development". Project Monitor. 8 April 2014. Archived from the original on 2 January 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  68. ^ a b "Government Firm on Airports Development" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, Government of India. 11 February 2014. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  69. ^ "Airports Authority of India" (PDF). AAI. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 July 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  70. ^ "Improve air connectivity from Trichy: MPs". The Times of India. 2 July 2024. Archived from the original on 12 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  71. ^ "Committee formed for runway expansion at Trichy airport". Times of India. 22 January 2012. Archived from the original on 2 January 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  72. ^ R Rajaram (10 May 2017). "Airport runway expansion project set to take off". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  73. ^ "Land acquisition process gathers momentum". The Hindu. 3 December 2017. Archived from the original on 11 April 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  74. ^ "Airports Authority of India". AAI. archive.is. 20 April 2010. Archived from the original on 15 December 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  75. ^ "Direct bus services from airport to Central bus stand". The Hindu. 22 September 2016. Archived from the original on 9 April 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  76. ^ "Air Works India Engineering Pvt. Ltd. Inaugurates its Line Maintenance facility at Trichy International Airport" (Press release). airworks.in. 4 January 2011. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
  77. ^ "Line maintenance services for the aircraft". The Hindu. 25 April 2009. Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  78. ^ S.Ganesan (16 December 2010). "Air India maintenance". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 1 January 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  79. ^ "Tiruchi Airport rated best in Asia Pacific region, in under two million passengers category, for 2022". The Hindu. 7 March 2023. Archived from the original on 8 March 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  80. ^ "ASN Aircraft accident Douglas C-47A-1-DK (DC-3) VP-CAT Tiruchirappalli-Civil Airport (TRZ)". Archived from the original on 23 April 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  81. ^ Roger Thiedeman (19 December 1999). "Air Ceylon Dakota "Sunethra Devi"". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  82. ^ "ASN Aircraft accident Douglas DC-3 VT-DUC Tiruchirappalli-Civil Airport (TRZ)". Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  83. ^ "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 737-2A8 Advanced VT-EGD Tiruchirappalli-Civil Airport (TRZ)". Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  84. ^ "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 737-8HG (WL) VT-AYD Tiruchirappalli-Civil Airport (TRZ)". Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  85. ^ "Damaged Air India Plane Flew For 3 Hours, Clueless Pilot Asked To Divert". NDTV. Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  86. ^ "Air India Express plane hits Trichy airport compound wall, lands safely in Mumbai". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  87. ^ "Air India Express flight faces snag, lands after circling Trichy airport for two hours". The Indian Express. 11 October 2024. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  88. ^ "Exclusive: How Air India Express Pilots Handled Mid-Air Scare Over Trichy". NDTV.com. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  89. ^ "Name airport after C.V. Raman". The Hindu. 19 November 2012. Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  90. ^ "Kalam nostalgia spurs book sales, biopic, online pleas". The Times Of India. 1 August 2015. Archived from the original on 20 May 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
[edit]