International passenger traffic: International passenger traffic approaching pre-covid numbers | Trichy News

Trichy: International passenger traffic bee Trichy International Airport has increased by 15% between April 2023 and March 2024 compared to the figures of the previous financial year, while the domestic sector witnessed a 21% increase during this period, surpassing the peak traffic the airport handled in 2018-2019. Better occupancy raterevival of touristic sector and new domestic connectivity were cited as reasons for the growth in both sectors.
If the airport handled 11.3 lakh international passengers between April 2022 and March 2023, it handled 13 lakh between April 2023 and March 2024, which is close to pre-Covid-19 traffic. In 2017-18 and 2019-20, the international airport handled 13.7 lakh and 13.1 lakh international passengers respectively. Despite the fact that Trichy Airport’s international services have not fully recovered to pre-Covid-19 levels, the significant increase in traffic is attributed to better occupancy rates and overwhelming demand for services between Trichy and Singapore.

In the previous financial year, Trichy Airport operated 74 international flights per week, which increased to 84 in 2023-2024 with additional services to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. “From around 80%, the average international flight occupancy rate from Trichy has increased to 85%. The maximum passenger capacity of one-way flights between Trichy and Singapore was increased from 180 to 232 seats. Even then, the load factor did not decline,” said H Ubaidullah, independent aviation analyst. Flights from Trichy to Kuala Lumpur, Sharjah and Kuwait have also done well.
Meanwhile, domestic passenger traffic at Trichy airport continues to grow, becoming one of the highest in 2023-2024. From handling 3.8 lakh passengers in 2022-23, it has increased to 4.5 lakh in the financial year ending March 2024. Even the peak domestic traffic the airport handled before Covid-19 (2018-19) was 3.2 lakh passengers. Additional services and new domestic destinations such as Mumbai, Bengaluru and Mangaluru were cited as reasons for the surge.
“New direct air links to Trichy from major Indian cities will further promote temple tourism in the Cauvery delta districts. Not just foreigners, corporate employees rely on flights connecting Trichy to visit major Chola temples,” said S Muthukumar, coordinator of Thanjavur Tourism Promotion Council. In addition, domestic services from Trichy, connecting major international airports such as Mumbai, help travelers from the central region reach more international destinations, especially Saudi Arabia.

We have also recently published the following articles