The new Air Traffic Control tower-cum-technical block under construction at Tiruchirappalli International Airport.
| Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO
The new multi-storeyed Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower under construction at the Tiruchi International Airport is expected to be commissioned by June next year. The No-Objection Certificate (NoC) has been obtained for increasing the height of the new tower to 53 metres and it will be an highly advanced structure with antennae, Airport Director, Tiruchi S.S. Raju said on Saturday. The construction of the ATC building would be completed in December and parallel operations would be carried out for three to four months. After obtaining approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the new ATC-cum-technical block is expected to be commissioned by June next year, Mr. Raju said. The project is being executed at a cost of ₹60 crore.The new ATC would enable the Air Traffic Controllers to have a 360 degree view of the airport area, including the portion of the runway which is to be expanded, Mr. Raju told reporters at the airport. Stating that the Tiruchi airport achieved a “monumental growth” in the last 12 years, Mr. Raju said it stood as the second busiest airport in Tamil Nadu in overseas passenger traffic with major infrastructure development and passenger service enhancement.Explaining the “record breaking traffic growth” at the Tiruchi airport, Mr. Raju said the total aircraft movements witnessed 100% growth from 9,694 in 2014-2015 to 18,858 movements in 2025-26. International passenger aircraft movements rose from 7,778 in 2014-2015 to 9,386 movements in 2025-2026 recording a growth of 21% .The total passenger footfall witnessed a remarkable 90% growth increasing from 1.18 million passenger per annum in 2024-25 to 2.22 million passenger per annum in 2025-26. Over 50% growth was recorded in the volume of international cargo which surged to 7,200 tonnes in 2025. The airport had maintained an impeccable safety record with zero major ATM safety occurrences over the last 12 years.The war in West Asia had resulted in a 20% to 30% reduction in overseas flight services at Tiruchi airport.On the airport runway expansion, Mr. Raju said construction of compound wall around the newly acquired area would be completed by April next year using prefabricated concrete structure, after which the runway expansion work would begin.Old terminalMr. Raju said options were being looked at to utilise the old passenger terminal building as a Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility on the airside and construction of multiplex on the city side or to convert it as a cargo handling area.Yatria Suvidha DiwasMr. Raju said a series of passenger centric activities would be organised at the airport on June 15 in connection with Yatri Suvidha Divas celebrations. This includes welcoming passengers with traditional Tika/Tilak reception; flash mob performances showcasing the vibrancy of the airport community; distribution of saplings to passengers to encourage environmental awareness and painting and quiz competitions for students. Published - June 13, 2026 06:10 pm IST
