Tiruchi Airport has the potential to handle many more international flights: Annamalai

New passenger terminal at Tiruchi International Airport, 5x larger, potential to handle more international flights & improve connectivity to Middle East & Southeast Asia.

The new passenger terminal at Tiruchi International Airport, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 2, 2024, is five times larger than the existing terminal, and the airport had the potential to handle even more international flights than it does at present, said K. Annamalai, BJP’s Tamil Nadu president.

Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of a cleanliness drive in Tiruchi, Mr. Annamalai said being a strategic location, Tiruchi has the potential to handle a large number of international flights. “The next objective is to improve international connectivity from Tiruchi, particularly to the Middle East and Southeast Asian nations, to make the city an international hub. By improving domestic and international air connectivity from Tiruchi, many people from the neighbouring Cauvery delta districts will benefit,” he said.

The BJP leader also criticised the T.N. government for failing to adhere to the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in handling municipal solid waste. He said the cities in Tamil Nadu have become mass urban landfills due to poor waste management. The State government should act proactively and devise long-term strategies for handling waste, he said.

The recent floods and heavy rains in Chennai and the southern districts have exposed the inefficiency of the State government in handling natural disasters, said Mr. Annamalai, adding that local bodies have constructed civic amenities in an unscientific manner by utilising funds sanctioned under the Smart Cities Mission. The State government has not learned anything from the two disasters in December and lacks adequate preparedness to handle such situations in the future, he added.