Coimbatore Airport expansion to start soon

The Airport Authority of India has given its approval for modification and expansion of the Coimbatore Airport terminal buildings at an outlay of Rs. 78 crore. The project, to be implemented in two years, will give the airport a new look and a host of new facilities.

Airport Director K. Hemalatha confirmed the approval and said the project would include installation of two new aerobridges, elevators/escalators and a conveyor belt to carry baggage. At present the airport does not have an aerobridge and passengers have to walk through the tarmac/apron and climb the passenger step ladder (PSL) vehicle to get onto the flight. Aerobridges take the passengers straight into the flight from the terminal building. Aerobridges will also help reduce human or vehicle movement on the tarmac.

Coimbatore airport already has international flight connectivity to Sharjah by Air Arabia and Indian while Sri Lankan and Silk Air are scheduled to commence shortly their services to Colombo and Singapore respectively.

The aerobridges would be immensely useful, sources said. When there are no international flights, bigger aircraft on the domestic sector also could use these aerobridges.

The VIP lounge and the passenger waiting area in the departure and arrival halls would get a facelift with new chairs and trolleys, said the sources.

Efforts are on to get feeder conveyors that will feed the luggage onto the conveyor directly after weighing it. Customs counters will be fully refurbished and there will be adequate space for new facilities such as customs duty paid shop and foreign exchange counters.

With the available land every possible improvement was being made to keep pace with growth, the sources said.