Coimbatoreans have voiced disappointment over Air India Express’ omission of the textile city in its September schedule.
Drawing the attention of Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri to the issue, A Sakthivel and Vanitha Mohan, the Chairman and Vice Chairperson of Kongu Global Forum, said: “It is disheartening to note that Coimbatore has been neglected in Vande Bharat Mission September schedule. The city was included in the last three months list and the flights were well patronised. Incidentally, except for Coimbatore and Vishakapatnam, all other international airports in South India have been included in the programme.”
“The international airport here has adequate infrastructure to handle these flights, but is not recognised in the Hub and Spoke model by the government. This makes it extremely difficult for international passengers arriving here to reach any destination in western Tamil Nadu, especially during the pandemic.
“Considering the economic significance of this region, the government, besides including Coimbatore in VBM September schedule, should also recognise Coimbatore International Airport in the Hub and Spoke model,” said the KGF Chairman.