The Tiruchi International Airport’s Air Traffic Control and Communication, Navigation and Surveillance teams have maintained a 100% safe operational record with zero major Air Traffic Management safety incidents, sustaining an unbroken 12-year safety streak, Airport Director G. Gopalakrishnan said on Saturday (August 15, 2026).

The Air Traffic Controllers of Tiruchi Airport had guided 18,858 aircraft movements during the 2025-2026 fiscal reflecting a growth in flight movements, Mr. Gopalakrishnan pointed out.

Speaking at the 80th Independence Day celebrations after hoisting the national flag at the airport, Mr. Gopalakrishnan said that this remarkable achievement was a testimony to the professionalism and dedication of the Air Traffic Controllers, CNS personnel, engineers, operational teams, and every stakeholder involved in maintaining safe airport operations.

“Tiruchi Airport is not simply handling more flights and more passengers. We are building an airport that is financially stronger, safer, better connected, more passenger friendly, and ready for the future”, Mr. Gopalakrishnan said.

Highlighting the airport’s achievements on various fronts, he said it crossed 2.22 million passengers during the 2025-2026 fiscal, recording a growth of more than 13.4% over the previous year. The striking growth has been in domestic traffic, recording up to 48.3%.

In the first seven months of 2026 alone, the airport handled around 1.14 million passengers with 9,400 aircraft movements. Cargo handled at the airport rose from 6,474 metric tonnes to 7,184 metric tonnes during 2025-2026, registering an impressive growth of 11 %.

On the infrastructure development front, he said 487.35 acres of land had been acquired for runway expansion, with more than 99% of land acquisition having been completed. The construction of a precast boundary wall had commenced at a cost of ₹17.52 crore.

The construction of new ATC Tower-cum-Technical Block at the airport was progressing towards completion by December 31 this year. Mr. Gopalakrishnan complimented the airport fraternity and all other stakeholders for ensuring the smooth and hassle-free handling of passengers and flight operations.

Published - August 15, 2026 03:03 pm IST