Coimbatore airport expansion moves ahead after NITI Aayog approval

The proposed expansion of Coimbatore International Airport has received approval from NITI Aayog and is awaiting clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Expenditure, airport director Mohammad Arif said on Wednesday.

Arif said 627 acres of land was required for the expansion in addition to the airport’s existing 420 acres. This would take the total area after expansion to more than 1,047 acres.

Of the required land, 621 acres has already been handed over to the Airports Authority of India. The remaining six acres, acquired by the district administration, is expected to be transferred soon.

Arif said the airport had prepared a detailed environmental impact report as required by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority. The process of securing final clearance from the Union environment ministry was at its final stage.

To ease congestion at the domestic security hold area, expansion work covering around 1,000 sq m was under way.

“It is expected to be completed by December,” Arif said.

For long-term capacity enhancement, a new terminal building is planned at an estimated cost of Rs 2,132 crore.

The terminal will cover 75,000 sq m and is designed to handle 1.20 crore passengers annually, compared with the airport’s current capacity of 35 lakh passengers a year.

Arif said the expansion could be completed in about three years after work begins.

The airport will also conduct a 24-day “Yatri Seva Abhiyan” awareness and service camp from September 17 to October 10.

The campaign will include special inspections and initiatives in line with civil aviation ministry guidelines.

Monitoring will cover flight departure and arrival timings, first-aid and medical preparedness, drinking water quality, DigiYatra services and internet connectivity.

The proposed expansion is therefore awaiting the next stage of government clearance after receiving approval from NITI Aayog.