Coimbatore: The number of passengers flying out of Coimbatore has dropped over the past two years, with sky-high fares and the economic slowdown being the likely causes for the drop. Close to 13 lakh people flew out of Coimbatore in 2013-14, a 4% drop compared to 2012-13 when 13.5 lakh passengers passed through the airport. The number of passengers who flew out of Coimbatore declined 3% in 2012-13 compared to the previous year's 13.9 lakh passengers.
While passengers blame it on the high fares, travel agents attribute it to the tepid economy and airport authorities cite inadequate infrastructure. "Just the basic fare for an economy class ticket booked at the last minute is about 5,000 and 3,500 for a ticket booked in advance," said D Nandhakumar, president of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore.
"I prefer taking the train, which is four times cheaper, unless the journey is longer than six hours," said H Mahesh, a businessman who travels to Chennai and Hyderabad.
11/08/14 Pratiksha Ramkumar/Times of India
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While passengers blame it on the high fares, travel agents attribute it to the tepid economy and airport authorities cite inadequate infrastructure. "Just the basic fare for an economy class ticket booked at the last minute is about 5,000 and 3,500 for a ticket booked in advance," said D Nandhakumar, president of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore.
"I prefer taking the train, which is four times cheaper, unless the journey is longer than six hours," said H Mahesh, a businessman who travels to Chennai and Hyderabad.
11/08/14 Pratiksha Ramkumar/Times of India
