TRICHY: Airports Authority of India (AAI) has approved the design for a new passenger terminal and allied infrastructure for the proposed domestic airport at the Thanjavur Air Force Station, bringing the project a step closer to execution.
The Tamil Nadu government had handed over 55 acres to AAI two years ago for the construction of the terminal building. With the design now finalized, the project is awaiting in-principle and administrative approvals from AAI headquarters before tenders can be floated and construction commenced.
According to airport officials, the proposed airport will share the existing Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower with the Indian Air Force. "Design approval was obtained for the passenger terminal building, link taxiway and parking bay. The runway is more than 3,000m long. Limited domestic flights can be operated there," said S S Raju, director of Trichy International Airport.
Trichy International Airport, which serves as the mentor airport for the project, conducted feasibility studies and submitted proposals to AAI. Officials said the proposed airport is about 50km from Trichy by road and more than 40km by air. Since the Thanjavur facility is being developed at an existing airfield that handled commercial flights until the early 1990s, restrictions applicable to new greenfield airports within a 150km radius of an existing civilian airport don't apply.
The project is estimated to cost around 100 crore. Initially, two or three ATR-type turboprop aircraft, each with a seating capacity of about 70 passengers, are expected to operate domestic services from the airport. To improve access to the proposed terminal, the state government has agreed to straighten an existing curved approach road connecting the airport to the Thanjavur-Pudukkottai Highway. "Before the infrastructure is ready for use, necessary clearances from BCAS and other regulatory authorities will be obtained for the new airport," Raju said.
Officials said the airport is unlikely to affect the growth of Trichy International Airport, which primarily caters to international traffic. Once operational, the airport is expected to improve regional air connectivity and provide easier access to major religious tourism destinations and educational institutions across the Cauvery delta districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai and Nagapattinam.
