Works at Coimbatore airport nearing completion

Coimbatore: The ongoing development works at the Coimbatore Airport for handling the increase in passenger and air traffic are nearing completion, said M.R. Vasudeva, Airport Director.
Talking to The Hindu, Mr. Vasudeva said that the airport runway earlier was 7,500 ft and the same had been extended to 9,520 ft. With works on for fixing threshold and approach lights, very shortly the runway would become operational.
Airport Authority of India is planning to give NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) on the extended runway and could be used after 56 days. This would enable landing of wide-bodied and fat-bellied aircraft without major restrictions on load or fuel.
The glide path in the Instrument Landing System (ILS) would be shifted to guide the landing aircraft. The final objective was to extend the runway to 11,000 ft.
Works are already under way for expanding the terminal building with a capacity for 300 passengers in order to accommodate 700 passengers at a cost of Rs. 78 crore by increasing the area from 6,000 sq.m. to 14,700 sq.m.
The terminal building expansion would include modern arrival hall besides improvements to the structure. The new building would have additional lounges such as VIP and Executive.It would also have two aerobridges with visual docking guidance system, four escalators and elevators and modern passenger baggage handling systems.The approach road from Sitra Junction to the airport would be widened and the AAI was waiting for the local body to hand over the road.
23/04/09 V.S. Palaniappan/The Hindu

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Categories: Airports Apr 2009