The State government may need nearly 600 acres of land for this airport.
| Photo Credit: Representational image
Airports Authority of India (AAI) has begun the pre-feasibility study for the Rameswaram airport and a team recently inspected two sites for the airport in Ramanathapuram district two weeks ago.
After the Tamil Nadu government disclosed its decision to build an airport at Rameswaram in March this year to strengthen the infrastructure and to give a fillip to tourism, five possible sites were selected in July, a source said. By August, the government shortlisted two sites—one near Uchipulli and another near Keelakarai. Subsequently, the government had requested AAI to carry out a pre-feasibility study to study the pros and cons of both sites. By the end of October, a team from AAI visited the villages around the two sites. The first site Uchipuli, villages close by include Perungulam, Kumbaram and Valantharavai. In the second site located close to Keelakarai, the neighbouring villages include Manikaneri and Mayakulam, he added.
“Both the sites seem feasible now. The first site near Uchipuli is situated near INS Parundu, an Indian Naval Air Station. If the State government chooses this site, then they will need approval from the Indian Navy,” he said.
The first site is located nearly 40 km away or is an hour’s drive from the Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram and about half hour drive from the Ramanathapuram Railway station.
To travel from the second site near Keelakarai to the Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram, it could take an hour and half. The Ramanathapuram Railway station is only half hour away from the second site.
“Both sites have high tension power lines but the terrain seems fine from the initial assessment. But there is also a railway track passing via the site near Uchipuli. If Uchipuli is chosen by the government, then both, high tension power lines and the track will have to be shifted,” another source said.
After AAI submits the pre-feasibility study providing recommendations, the government will have to choose the site. The State government may need nearly 600 acres of land for this airport.
Apart from Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple, there are quite a few famous temples located in the region including Adi Jagannatha Perumal Temple (one of the 108 Divya Desam temples), Mangalanatha Swamy Temple (Uthirakosamangai village) and Kodhandaramar Temple and hence having an air connectivity to Rameswaram would benefit a lot of tourists.
Published – December 03, 2025 05:47 pm IST
