Following the State government’s announcement to redevelop the unused airstrip at Kovilpatti for establishing a Flying Training Organisation (FTO), the project’s nodal agency, Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO), has invited interested firms to submit proposals for the development of the FTO.
Submissions of proposals is open until January 6, 2026.
Tamil Nadu has over 15 airstrips, some of which are currently unused including the one at Kovilpatti in Thoothukudi district. In a bid to redevelop the airstrip at Kovilpatti, the State government has initiated the project through TIDCO. At present, the State has only one dedicated FTO at Salem airport, which began its operations in 2023, officials told The Hindu on Sunday.
The airstrip in Kovilpatti was built by Lakshmi Mills for private use on 63 acres of land leased from the Tamil Nadu government at Thonugal and Nalatinpudur villages. However, the airstrip has been unused for over 20 years.
To facilitate the redevelopment, TIDCO had invited online tenders for the project in 2023. In November 2025, it has invited for submission of proposals. The project has been planned on a Design, Build, Operate, Finance and Transfer (DBFOT) basis for a period of 31 years.
The site area of the planned FTO in Kovilpatti spans around 95 acres. The runway at the site is 1.05 km long and 15 metres wide. The existing runway is asphalt topped, but it has become unusable due to weather conditions. In its RFP (Request for Proposal) document, TIDCO has noted that the airstrip can accommodate 10 trainer airplanes.
The establishment of FTO in Kovilpatti is widely expected to boost industrial development in the region.
R. Edwin Samuel, former chairman of CII, Thoothukudi, said the establishment of FTO in Kovilpatti would help develop the locality, providing direct and indirect employment opportunities.
Published – December 21, 2025 08:02 pm IST
