The Tiruchy International Airport has installed a simple approach lighting system on the vacant land beside the Tiruchy-Pudukottai National Highway to upgrade the safety of the runway.

According to officials, the lighting system helps in identifying the runway boundary. The system will be installed at Rs 42.79 lakh, and it will further boost the safety of the runway - specifically the portion facing the NH, by providing safe aircraft landing during extreme weather conditions.

The airport got approximately 5.9 acres of land on the Pudukottai side from the government. Now, the airport has a Category-I landing system at the runway portion on the Kottapattu side and a simple approach lighting system on the Pudukottai side.

The CAT-I landing system at Kottapattu or Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) side can provide a safe landing even during the visibility of not less than 800 metres of runway visual range, not less than 550 metres. This system is adequate for ensuring the safe landing of an aircraft during the harsh weather conditions at our airport.

Sources said that the acquisition process for the runway development is also going on in a fast-track manner.

The airport requires approximately 300 acres of land for runway development. So far, about 25 acres of land have been acquired. The district administration and the State government are trying their best to speed up the acquisition works for the leftover land.

Many travel agents also expressed hopes of attracting more operators to Tiruchy with the construction work of the new terminal anticipated to be finished by April 2023.

A major travel agent in Tiruchy, N Ramesh, told the media that the new terminal construction, up-gradation of the runway safety, and other projects would improve the operations from Tiruchy. But, the major problem is that this will all be a great loss if the government hands over this airport to private players as they would get its advantage. The central government should drop the privatisation plan of Tiruchy airport.

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Also read: New passenger terminal at Trichy Airport to be ready by April 2023