The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has written to the Tamil Nadu government pushing for the implementation of the Rameswaram airport in Ramanathapuram district.

In a communication sent recently, the AAI said they were willing to build the Rameswaram airport and had asked the State government to identify the site and acquire land for the project, sources said. “The AAI is keen on developing the airport because there is good potential owing to the number of tourists who visit this town. It can be implemented under the RCS-UDAN scheme, provided the State government finalises a site and also acquires the land for the project,” a source said.

Initial request

In September 2024, the Ministry of Civil Aviation had written to the State government requesting the development of this airport. Subsequently, the Tamil Nadu government identified five sites — Devipattanam, Palankulam, Sattakkonvasalai, Pirappanvalasai, and Tirupullani — and after narrowing the sites down to two in September 2025, it had asked the AAI to do a pre-feasibility inspection at the shortlisted sites. Following the inspection and study, the AAI recommended the site closer to Tirupullani (near Keelakarai) as the location to build the airport.

As a civil enclave

The State government also looked at INS Parundu, an Indian Navy Air Station near Uchipuli in Ramanathapuram district. Sources said that while it was possible to have a civil enclave development (a earmarked civilian area for commercial flights within the naval air station), there were some challenges in doing so.

“A site has not been finalised yet. Both Uchipuli and Keelakarai have been examined. Further discussions have to be held to consider various aspects, after which a site can be chosen,” another source said.

But there is also a view that since the Madurai airport is only about a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Rameswaram, whether a new airport should be developed for the town.

Published - August 01, 2026 11:27 pm IST