Coimbatore airport to have parallel taxi trac

Will reduce runway occupancy time and enable more landings

The number of daily flights operated through Coimbatore Peelamedu airport has gone up by 100% in the last one year.

Coimbatore March 19 The rise in number of flights has forced Coimbatore airport authorities to plan for a parallel taxi tract that will cut down runway occupancy, especially during peak hour operations.

The Airports Authority of India has approved the Peelamedu airport administration's plan. The projected outlay for laying the taxi tract has been estimated at about Rs 30 crore, according to Ms Hemalatha, Airport Director, Coimbatore, AAI.

The airport of late is facing occasional flight hold-ups due to peak hour runway congestion causing bunching of flights in the evening hours, though such occurrences are few and far. But, the growth in air-passenger traffic here has sent out strong signals for the AAI Coimbatore on the need for another taxi tract, which besides reducing the runway occupancy time will also enable more landings.

Boom time

Thanks to the booming business, trade travel and the rise in flight frequency between Coimbatore and Chennai; Coimbatore and Bangalore, the number of daily flights operated through Coimbatore Peelamedu airport has gone up by 100 per cent in the last one year. As against some 14, today the daily flights to and from Coimbatore is 27, though bulk of them is from budget airlines.

The highest number of flights is between Coimbatore and Chennai, four by Paramount Airways, two each by Air Deccan and Jet Airways.

The proposed parallel taxi tract is part of the preparedness of the AAI Coimbatore to meet the potential passenger growth anticipated in the coming months. Besides the domestic passenger traffic, an increase in the flow of international passenger traffic via Coimbatore is also expected.

More flights

"Coimbatore may see introduction of at least one or two new flights in its summer schedule shortly," said the airport director.

According to Ms Sathya Suresh, Head of Travel division of Precol Travels, the leisure travel is gaining ground to and from Coimbatore airport and nearly 40 per cent of the people travelling through Coimbatore are from this category.

The rise in number of both business and leisure travellers to Singapore, Korea and China, from Coimbatore points to potential demand for a direct international connectivity from the city, she pointed out.