Evening flights plan fails to take off at Tiruchi

Tiruchi: The posting of additional Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) men at Tiruchi Airport does not appear to have helped start evening air services to Chennai and other destinations as expected.
Evening service to Chennai, Bangalore and other cities from Tiruchi has been a major demand from the industry and the travel trade here for long. Absence of evening flights is said to be causing a delay in starting the proposed IT Park here.
Airports Authority of India (AAI) had previously cited the CISF manpower constraint as the impediment. Even a month after additional CISF men were posted, the much talked about evening services have not materialised.
Some private airlines, which were earlier planning evening services, are yet to firm up their plans. Cost-cutting measures in the wake of increase in aviation turbine fuel price is one of the reasons. But some others want the airport officials to allow operations without any restrictions.
The airport authorities seem to be reluctant to allow evening operations, especially between 6 and 9 p.m., because of limited manpower at the Air Traffic Control.
14/09/08 The Hindu

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Categories: Airports Sep 2008