The Hindu Business Line : Scope for direct international flights from Madurai

Efforts are on to make direct international flights from Madurai take off early. The Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in a meeting at New Delhi recently with the High Commissioners of Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka, explained the scope and need to operate direct flights to Madurai from Kuala Lampur, Singapore and Colombo.

A delegation of the Chamber that met Ms Norlin Othman (Deputy Commissioner of Malaysia to India), Mr Calvin Eu (High Commissioner of Singapore to India) and Mr C.R. Jeyasinghe (High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India) explained the justifications for the introduction of international flights and sought their co-operation.

CENTRALLY LOCATED

They reasoned that, centrally located in the State, Madurai is the gateway for southern districts and is well connected by road and rail to other important cities in India. The present infrastructure at the airport is adequate for introducing Airbus services and international connectivity. The present runway is getting extended to 9,000 ft. The city has assumed importance in terms of pilgrimage and business tourism in addition to health. A substantial segment of Tamil-speaking people in Singapore, Malaysia and Sri Lanka have their roots in southern districts and contribute to the growth of passenger traffic in these countries.

MORE FDI

Recent projects in the South have foreign collaborations and tie-ups, accelerating the potential for increased passenger traffic at the Madurai airport. The connectivity would enable more foreign direct investment in the southern districts, the delegation pointed out.