# Tiruchirappalli International Airport

Tiruchirappalli International Airport (IATA: TRZ, ICAO: VOTR) is an international airport that serves Tiruchirappalli in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The airport is situated at National Highway 336, approximately 5 km (3.1 mi) south of the city center, and occupies 702.02 acres (284.10 ha). As of 2024, it is India's 31st busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic and the 10th busiest for total foreign aircraft movement. It is the state's second-busiest airport in terms of international connections, after Chennai International Airport, and the third-busiest airport in terms of passengers served, after Chennai International Airport and Coimbatore International Airport.
With direct connections to four domestic and 10 international locations, the airport managed by the Airports Authority of India is served by two Indian and five foreign airlines. The airport was designated as an international airport in October 2012 and holds an ISO 9001:2008 certification. A new passenger terminal with three aerobridges was constructed, while the airport's oldest terminal was transformed into a freight complex. Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially opened a new integrated passenger terminal in January 2024.

## History
### Pre-World War II

The first known history of commercial flight landing at the airport dates back to 23 December 1936 when Tata Sons, Ltd. operated an Indo-Ceylon special airmail service between Madras and Colombo via Trichinopoly carrying Christmas mails connecting their regular airmail service between Karachi and Madras via Bhuj, Ahmedabad, Bombay, and Hyderabad. The special "Goodwill Flight" was operated by Miles M4A Merlin aircraft registered as VT-AHC and piloted by H. D. Barucha, the return flight to Madras via Trichinopoly occurred the next day. This flight was a precursor for the extension of their regular Karachi-Madras Airmail service until Colombo via Trichinopoly, which began operations on 28 February 1938. There is evidence of weekly Air Mail service in operation on the Bombay-Goa-Cananore-Trivandrum-Tirchinopoly route during early 1937 which later made connection to the Karachi-Colombo Air Mail service at Trichinopoly.

### World War II

During World War II, RAF Station Kajamalai was established at the airfield and used by the British Royal Air Force. The base started operating during May 1942 and until the beginning of 1944. The base was primarily used for repair and maintenance of warplanes which on landing were taken to a workshop at Ponmalai 2 km away. The airfield gained prominence during 1944 when planes were brought for calibration and other training activities for ferry flights was also started by using the airfield. During second half of 1944, three squadrons were operating out of the airfield. At the end of war the airfield served as Staging Post and Personnel Transit Centre due to its prominent location.
Flying squadrons :
| Squadron | From | Till | Aircraft |
| No. 20 Squadron RAF | 31 July 1944 | 21 September 1944 | Hawker Hurricane Mk IID |
| No. 5 Squadron RAF | 29 October 1944 | 14 December 1944 | Republic Thunderbolt Mk I, Mk II |
| No. 123 Squadron RAF | 29 October 1944 | 3 December 1944 | Republic Thunderbolt Mk II |
Various units also located at the airfield during and after the war:
* Nos 121, 101, and 138 Repair & Salvage Units (1942–1945)
* Air Stores/Equipment Park (1942–1945)
* No. 2 Civil Maintenance Unit (1943–1946)
* Headquarters for No. 173 Wing RAF (25 Nov 1942 - 19 October 1943) and No. 171 Wing RAF (1 August-8 November 1943)
* No. 1580 Calibration Flight (February 1944 - October 1945); No. 1583 Calibration Flight (to 15 November 1945)
* Ferry flights (April 1944 - February 1946)
* No. 156 Staging Post (March 1945 - April 1946)
* No. 60 Personnel Transit Centre (September 1945 - November 1945)

### Post-World War II

When the Ceylon government asked permission to operate flights between Colombo and Trichinopoly in 1947, the Indian government improved the aerodrome for full functioning and allowed flight operations to Colombo in 1948. On 3 December 1948, Air Ceylon inaugurated a regular weekly commercial service between Colombo and Karachi, using a Dakota flight via Tiruchirappalli and Bombay. During 1950, Air Ceylon operated dedicated daily flights from Colombo to Tiruchirappalli via Jaffna. Two years later, Air India operated daily flights on the Bombay-Madras-Tiruchirappalli-Colombo route, which was later transferred to Indian airlines operated on Madras-Tiruchirappalli-Colombo route.
Beginning in the late 1950s, Tiruchirappalli was connected by domestic service with Madras, Madurai, Cochin and Trivandrum by Indian Airlines at different routings during different periods of time. During the 1990s, Indian Airlines started connecting Trichy with Middle Eastern cities like Kuwait and Sharjah; connections were made during the 2000s with Ras-Al-Khaimah and Fujairah. Indian Airlines operated up until it was merged with Air India. Starting from late 2000, the airport was connected with South East Asian destinations like Kuala Lumpur and Singapore by foreign airlines. Air India Express also started connecting Tiruchirappalli with both Middle East and South East Asian destinations.
The airport was categorised as a customs airport until 4 October 2012, when it was given international status by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

## Terminals

The airport has three adjacent terminals. The original passenger terminal has been converted into an international cargo complex housing the control tower and technical block. In 2009 this was replaced with a modern integrated passenger terminal, which became inactive when the new integrated passenger terminal began operations for both international and domestic air traffic.

### New integrated passenger terminal

Passenger movements are handled from the new Integrated Passenger Terminal which was inaugurated on 2 January 2024 and began operations from 11 June 2024. The building has an area of 75,000 m$^2$ (810,000 sq ft), with capacity to handle 4.5 million passengers per year and 3,480 passengers in its busiest hour. It has been constructed to meet a four-star Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) and was constructed at a cost of ₹11.12 billion (US$130 million)
The terminal's design is inspired by the monuments of Tiruchirapalli, festivals like Pongal, art forms like kolam. Ancient Tamil architecture forms like gopurams are placed on both sides of the entrance gates. The large roof of the terminal over the departure concourse is derived from traditional southern Indian architecture. A big temple tower-like structure, resembling the Ranganathaswamy temple, for which Tiruchirapalli is known worldwide, welcomes passengers at the airport. The terminal roof, flooring patterns, column cladding, feature walls and the signage design are inspired by local arts, culture and traditions.
The terminal is situated on the existing airport land available on the southern side, for which a new four-lane elevated access road has been built from the NH-336 passing beside the original terminal.
The terminal's features include:
* 12 flights per hour handling capacity
* 11 boarding gates with 5 aerobridges
* 26 domestic and 34 international check-in counters
* 60 immigration counters
* 44 emigration counters
* 5 baggage carousels
* 3 VIP Lounges
* 4 domestic and 15 international X-ray baggage scanning systems
* Parking for 1000 cars, 250 taxis, and 10 buses with electric charging bays
The terminal was designed by a French company, Egis Group, in partnership with the British architectural firm, Pascall+Watson, as the project managers, completed the design and plan for construction by March 2018. The tender for construction was awarded to ITD Cementation India Limited in August 2018. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the construction of the new terminal through video conferencing from Tiruppur, on 10 February 2019.

### Old Integrated passenger terminal

Until 11 June 2024 operations were handled from the Integrated Passenger Terminal; all operations were transferred overnight from the old to the new terminal. The future use of the Integrated Passenger Terminal is undecided.
The Integrated Passenger Terminal was built at a cost of ₹800 million (US$9.2 million), was inaugurated on 21 February 2009, and operations started from 1 June 2009. The two-story terminal has a floor area of 11,777 m$^2$ (126,770 sq ft) with handling capacity of 490,000 passengers per annum, and peak hour capacity of 470 passengers. Some of the features of the terminal include:
* 12 check-in counters
* 4 customs counters (1 departure + 3 arrival)
* 16 immigration counters (8 departure + 8 arrival)
* 3 conveyor belts (47 m (154 ft) each)
* 1 baggage assistance counter
* 1 health officer counter
* 5 X-ray scanners for baggage (3 for registered baggage and 2 for hand baggage)
* 4 security check units
* 210 CISF security officers
* 7 total aircraft stands:
** 3 for code D aircraft
** 4 for code C aircraft
* 3 aerobridges
* Parking space for 300 vehicles
The integrated terminal had two lounges: VIP lounge and Commercial Important Persons (CIP) lounge which were managed by AAI.

### Cargo terminal

After being replaced for passenger use in 2009, the old terminal was converted into an international cargo complex at a cost of ₹ 10 million. The 4,000 m$^2$ (43,000 sq ft) cargo complex was commissioned for operations on 21 November 2011. The export wing occupies 2,193 m$^2$ (23,610 sq ft) and 1,750 m$^2$ (18,800 sq ft) for the import wing. The Central Board of Excise and Customs had earlier approved and notified the airport as an air cargo complex. The one-time holding capacity of the cargo terminal is 250 metric tonnes. The airport is the gateway for foreign export, as there is no easy way for export from the central region of Tamil Nadu.
On 11 October 2013, a five-metric ton capacity cold storage facility was inaugurated at the cargo section. This facility will be helpful during flight delay, flight cancellation, advance booking and holiday bookings of cargo.
On 21 April 2017, a dedicated import cargo facility was created on 190 m$^2$ (2,000 sq ft) at a cost of ₹2 million (US$23,000) to encourage more imports through the airport. At present, the imports are very minimal as compared with the exports. On 1 July 2017, EDI facility was introduced at the cargo terminal. With this facility, speedy and electronic clearance of freight is assured eliminating the manual process, making the export process more simple. This is expected to pave the way for additional commodities being exported from the airport.

## Facilities
### Runway

Runways at Tiruchirappalli Airport :
| Runway number | Length | Width | Strength (PCN) | ILS |
| 09/27 | 2,427 m (7,963 ft) | 45 m (148 ft) | 68/F/A/W/T | NIL / CAT I |
| 15/33 (Closed) | 1,456 m (4,777 ft) | 45 m (148 ft) | 15/F/B/W/T | NIL / NIL |
The airport's older runway, 15/33, was closed as part of early development, and is now used as an alternate taxiway to the apron. The re-carpeting work on the active runway 09/27 was completed during February 2020 to July 2021, after 10 years, at a cost of ₹200 million (US$2.3 million).

### Apron and taxiway

Parking bays at Tiruchirappalli Airport :
| Stand numbers | PCN | Aircraft | Remarks |
| 1-4 | 70/R/C/W/T | B739/A321 or below | Concrete surface |
| 5-7 | 84/R/B/W/T | B767-200 or below | Concrete surface with aerobridges |
| 8 | 68/R/B/W/T | A321 or below | Concrete surface |
| 9 | | | Under construction |
| 10-20 | 87/R/B/W/T | A321 or below | Concrete surface with aerobridges |
| ISO Bay | 64/R/B/W/T | A321 or below | Concrete surface |
Stands 10-20 became active on 31 December 2023, they are located in the new apron of 15,580 m$^2$ built as part of the new terminal.
Before January 2024, there were four taxiways designated as A, B, C and D. On 31 December 2023, along with the new apron, parallel taxiways E1, E2, E3 and four new taxiways F, G, H and J were activated.

### Air traffic control

All the aircraft flying in the Tiruchirappalli control area and operated out of Tiruchirappalli Airport are handled from the air traffic control (ATC) tower located in the cargo terminal building. Trichy ATC is one of the oldest towers in India, and began operations on 5 November 1960.
Along with the new terminal project AAI has proposed to construct a new Category-II technical block cum air traffic control tower. Initially it was proposed to construct a tower 42.5m tall, eventually finalised to be 46 metres (151 ft) tall, including the top antenna. Tenders for the construction were floated at a cost of 51.49 crores in July 2022. Work began in July 2023 and was expected to take two years.
Salient features of the project are:
* ATC tower cum technical block with built up area of 8,272.56 m$^2$ (89,045.1 sq ft)
* Service/utility building area of 900 m$^2$ (9,700 sq ft)
* Height of Technical Block is 20.4 m (67 ft)
* Height of ATC tower is 41 m (135 ft), and including the top of the antenna, is 46 m (151 ft).
* Separate parking space with capacity of 79 four wheelers and 51 two wheelers

### Madras Flying Club

The Madras Flying Club started in 1929 during the Madras Presidency of the British Raj. Operated previously in Chennai Airport premises, it had to shift its operations to Tiruchirapalli due to congestion and operational difficulties. The academy began its operations at the airport on 10 January 2020, where they have placed 6 training aircraft at the hangar, which was previously used by V.K.N. Aviation Academy. They also have created three computer-aided smart classrooms in the airport. The Government of Tamil Nadu has allocated two acres (0.81 ha) of its land adjacent to the airport for the club to set up its operational infrastructure.

## Airlines and destinations

| Airlines | Destinations |
| AirAsia | Kuala Lumpur–International |
| Air India Express | Abu Dhabi, Chennai (begins 22 March 2025), Dammam, Doha, Dubai–International, Ghaziabad (begins 23 March 2025), Kuwait City, Mumbai (begins 31 March 2025), Muscat, Sharjah, Singapore |
| Batik Air Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur–International |
| IndiGo | Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jaffna (begins 30 March 2025), Mumbai, Singapore |
| Scoot | Singapore |
| SriLankan Airlines | Colombo–Bandaranaike |
| Thai AirAsia | Bangkok–Don Mueang |

## Expansion

Tiruchirappalli Airport has been undergoing expansion since 2004. The runway was extended from 1,800 m (6,000 ft) to 2,480 m (8,136 ft), the apron expanded to hold seven aircraft, the fire station upgraded, a new taxiway and the current integrated passenger terminal were constructed.
The Phase II expansion on 210 ha (510 acres) by AAI includes extending the runway to 3,800 m (12,500 ft), construction of a modern, new Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower, an additional building complex and other works. The Government of Tamil Nadu has agreed to provide land free to AAI for the expansion.
The airport is one of the non-metro airports selected for ₹200 crore (US$23 million) city side development on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

### New integrated passenger terminal

Due to the consistent increase in the air traffic, the existing integrated passenger terminal building became insufficient. Initially, it was planned to expand the existing integrated terminal by 180 meters on both sides, by constructing an additional 17,920 m$^2$ (192,900 sq ft) area to increase the passenger handling capacity to 1,075 peak-hour passengers, but later, the Ministry of Civil Aviation initiated the construction of a new two-level passenger terminal at a cost of ₹951 crore (equivalent to ₹11 billion or US$130 million in 2023). during February 2019 and completed at a cost of ₹11.12 billion (US$130 million) and began operations on 11 June 2024.
The expansion project includes the following:
* Two-level integrated terminal building with new apron and parking space for 1000 cars
* New Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower and a technical block
* Upgrade of the fire station to Category 10
* Expansion of the cargo terminal
* Airport systems
* City-side development
* Rehabilitation of the AAI residential colony and CISF accommodation, consisting of 118 units

### Runway extension

The current runway at the airport is one of the shortest runways among all the international airports in India. The original runway was planned to be expanded in two phases. Phase 1 is completed, and as part of the Phase 2 expansion, the runway is planned to be extended from the existing 2,480 m (8,140 ft) to an interim 3,200 m (10,500 ft), and later to 3,800 m (12,500 ft). AAI has sought around 510 acres (210 ha) of land from the government of Tamil Nadu to let the extension take place. The district administration has expressed its willingness to pay the market price for the land, but delays in acquiring land have delayed the extension of the runway.
A joint technical advisory committee involving the departments of agriculture, public works department, and revenue was formed during 2012, aimed at facilitating fast process on the airport expansion. The MP of Trichy Mr. Durai Vaiko met the civil aviation minister on 1 July 2024 and demanded for faster action from AAI side to expand the runway as the local administration has nearly completed its land purchase scheme. The state government acquired nearly 345.62 acres (139.87 ha) in May 2017, including dry and wet lands, and will relinquish 40 acres (16 ha) of government land.

### Apron expansion

The AAI has expanded the existing apron with the construction of a third aerobridge and ramp equipment area, measuring 2,800 square metres (0.69 acres) at an estimated cost of ₹22.5 million (US$260,000), which became active in January 2019. The Ministry of Civil Aviation initiated the plan to expand the apron to provide two more aircraft bays, increasing the bay count to nine. This work was started in February 2020; although one of the bays is now in operation, technical constraints prevented construction of the second another bay. As part of the construction of the new terminal, an additional apron of 15,580 m$^2$ (3.85 acres) size was constructed for parking up to 11 aircraft.

## Connectivity

The airport is located on the Pudukottai-Trichy National Highway 336. Frequent City buses run to the major bus and railway terminals of Tiruchirappalli, and to Thanjavur and Karur.

## Maintenance facilities

* Air Works has line maintenance facility to conduct transit checks on Airbus A320 type aircraft, which is the First Line Maintenance facility of Air Works. It was opened on behalf of Singapore-based Scoot for its aircraft maintenance.
* Air India Express has an engineering stores complex, with licensed engineers and technicians for service and repairs of its aircraft.

## Awards

In March 2023, the airport was awarded as the Best Airport In the Asia-Pacific Region in the category of under 2 million passengers per annum by Airports Council International.

## Accidents and incidents

* On 21 December 1949, Air Ceylon flight from Colombo Ratamalana to Trichinopoly via Jaffna Kankesanturai operated by Douglas DC-3 Dakota aircraft named "Sunethra Devi" and registered as VP-CAT crash landed at Trichinopoly Aerodrome. The accident was caused by engine trouble which was noticed after takeoff from Jaffna. There were no fatalities but all three crew members along with one of the 21 passengers sustained injuries. The aircraft was heavily damaged beyond any repair.
* On 25 December 1965, a non-scheduled Douglas DC-3 aircraft registered as VT-DUC met with an accident while landing at the airport due to pilot error. The aircraft had substantial damage with injuries to one passenger and two crew members.
* On 29 May 1980, Indian Airlines flight IC529, a Boeing 737-200 aircraft registered as VT-EGD, was operating on Chennai-Tiruchirappalli flight with 122 passengers and 6 crew members. During the landing the commander was not able to align the aircraft properly so requested and started performing a go-around, during which the left wing came into contact with the runway. The flight returned to Chennai and landed safely with substantial damage to the plane which was rectified.
* On 11 October 2018, Air India Express flight IX611 to Dubai operated by Boeing 737-800 registered as VT-AYD suffered a tail strike, hit the ILS system and boundary wall while taking off at 1:18 AM. The pilots continued the flight, reassured by normal instrumentation. When the plane was nearing the Middle East, the pilot was ordered to fly to Mumbai. It landed safely, with no one sustaining any injuries. The fuselage, engine cowling and flight control surfaces were severely damaged with debris lodged in the landing gear.
* On 11 October 2024, Air India Express Flight IX613, a Boeing 737-800 aircraft registered as VT-AYB flying from Tiruchirappalli to Sharjah, suffered a hydraulic failure in its landing gear assembly. After engaging in a holding pattern over Trichy for over two hours, the flight with 141 passengers landed safely.

## Naming the airport

In 2012, a request was made to name the airport after scientist C. V. Raman, who was from the city. There have been requests made to rename the airport after the former President of India A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, .