The new terminal building at Thoothukudi airport.
Thoothukudi airport recorded a passenger traffic of 55,810 between August 1 and September 30, despite having connectivity to only two destinations. Notably, the new terminal in Thoothukudi was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 26 of this year, and became operational on August 3.
The traffic is expected to increase further once more flights to additional destinations are introduced.
Currently, the air terminal operates six services to Chennai and one service to Bengaluru. The newly inaugurated terminal features upgraded facilities including an expanded runway from 1,350 metres to 3,115 metres, increased runway width from 30 metres to 45 metres for handling larger aircrafts.
The terminal building is spread over an area of 17,341 sq metres with 21 check-in counters, seven baggage scanners, three aerobridges, 644 seats, five aircraft parking bays, extended airstrip and night landing facilities.
In August, the domestic air terminal recorded 29,788 passengers, compared to 19,237 in August 2024, marking a 54.8% rise. Similarly in September, the passenger traffic grew by 53.3% with a footfall of 26,022 passengers this year, which was at 16,970 passengers during the same period last year.
R. Kodeeswaran, president, Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Thoothukudi, said that enhanced air connectivity to domestic destinations such as Kochi, Hyderabad, Mumbai from Thoothukudi airport would be highly beneficial.
He also suggested that the airport be notified as customs airport with flights to international destinations such as Male, Colombo, Malaysia, Singapore and Gulf countries, noting that Thoothukudi was rapidly developing as a major urban and industrial centre.
A senior official from Airport Authority of India said a proposal had been sent to connect Thoothukudi with around five new locations including Delhi and Mumbai. An airline company was expected to visit the airport shortly to assess the potential of new services.
The official further noted that the airport should first be strengthened as a domestic hub by improving connectivity before expanding to international operations.
Published – November 02, 2025 08:03 pm IST
