Tuticorin Airport

2021-09-03T16:27:33Z

2409:4073:4D91:52A1:0:0:E64A:6E03:

{{short description|Airport in Tuticorin, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2013}}
{{Infobox airport
| name = Tuticorin Airport
| image = Tuticorin Airport.jpg
| image-width = 250px
| IATA = TCR
| ICAO = VOTK
| type = Public
| owner = [[Ministry of Civil Aviation (India)|Ministry of Civil Aviation]]
| operator = [[Airports Authority of India]]
| city-served = [[Tuticorin district|Tuticorin]], [[Tirunelveli district|Tirunelveli]], [[Tenkasi district|Tenkasi]] and [[Kanyakumari district|Kanyakumari]]
| location = Airport Road, [[Vagaikulam]], [[Thoothukudi]] - 628103, [[Tamil Nadu]], India
| opened = {{start date and age|df=yes|1992|04|30}}
| timezone = [[Indian Standard Time]]
| utc = +5:30
| metric-rwy = y
| elevation-m = 39
| metric-elev = y
| elevation-f = 129
| coordinates = {{coord|08|43|27|N|078|01|33|E|type:airport|display=inline,title}}
| website = [https://www.aai.aero/en/airports/tuticorin AAI Tuticorin]
| pushpin_map = India Tamil Nadu#India
| pushpin_label = '''TCR'''
| pushpin_relief =
| pushpin_map_caption = '''TCR''' (Tamil Nadu)
| r1-number = 10/28
| r1-length-m = 1,351
| r1-length-f = 4,435
| r1-surface = [[Asphalt]]
| stat-year = April 2018 - December 2018
| stat1-header = Passengers movements
| stat1-data = 126,629({{increase}} 74.3%)
| stat2-header = Aircraft movements
| stat2-data = 2,126({{increase}} 100.9%)
| stat3-header = Cargo tonnage
| stat3-data = 29({{increase}} 123.1%)
| footnotes = Source: [[Airports Authority of India]]<ref name="traffic_stats1">{{cite web|url=https://www.aai.aero/sites/default/files/traffic-news/Mar2k18annex3.pdf|title=Traffic News for the month of March 2018: Annexure-III|work=[[Airports Authority of India]]|date=1 May 2018|access-date=1 May 2018|page=3}}</ref><ref name="traffic_stats2">{{cite web|url=https://www.aai.aero/sites/default/files/traffic-news/Mar2k18annex2.pdf|title=Traffic News for the month of March 2018: Annexure-II|work=[[Airports Authority of India]]|date=1 May 2018|access-date=1 May 2018|page=3}}</ref><ref name="traffic_stats3">{{cite web|url=https://www.aai.aero/sites/default/files/traffic-news/Mar2k18annex4.pdf|title=Traffic News for the month of March 2018: Annexure-IV|work=[[Airports Authority of India]]|date=1 May 2018|access-date=1 May 2018|page=3}}</ref>
}}

'''Tuticorin Airport''' {{airport codes|TCR|VOTK}} is a [[domestic airport]] located {{convert|16.9|km|abbr=on}} from [[Tuticorin]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]] serving the districts of [[Tuticorin district|Tuticorin]], [[Tirunelveli district|Tirunelveli]], [[Tenkasi district|Tenkasi]] and [[Kanyakumari district|Kanyakumari]]<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/demand-to-modernise-tuticorin-airport/article4744904.ece | location=Chennai, India | work=The Hindu | title=Demand to modernise Tuticorin airport | date=24 May 2013}}</ref> in southern Tamil Nadu. It is located 15.6 km west from the city centre on Thoothukudi-Tirunelveli NH-7A. It was inaugurated by former [[chief minister of Tamil Nadu]] [[J. Jayalalithaa]] on 30 April 1992 and the former [[Minister of State]] for [[Ministry of Civil Aviation (India)|Civil Aviation]] and [[Ministry of Tourism|Tourism]] [[M. O. H. Farook]] presided with her. The airport was [[ISO 9001:2015]] quality certified on 13 April 2018. It is the fifth busiest airport in Tamil Nadu after [[Chennai International Airport|Chennai]], [[Coimbatore International Airport|Coimbatore]], [[Tiruchirappalli International Airport|Tiruchirappalli]] and [[Madurai Airport|Madurai]].

==Structure==
[[Image:BombardierQ400 TuticorinAirport.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Passengers boarding waiting aircraft at the runway of Tuticorin airport]]
The airport has one asphalt runway, oriented 10/28, 1349 metres long and 45 metres wide. The taxiway is 15 metres wide and 225 metres in length. Airport has two parking bays. Stand Number 1 to the east and Stand Number 2 to the west of apron. Stand Number 1 for ATR 72 or lesser type of ACFT and stand Number 2 for Bombardier Q400 or lesser type of ACFT. while its terminal building can handle 120 passengers during peak hours. Navigational aids at Tuticorin airport include NDB 'TU', PAPI lights and an Aerodrome beacon. It has been granted higher category license from existing VFR to IFR by DGCA on 30 June 2020. Tuticorin Airport is capable of all weather - day & night operations at low visibility less than 5 km.
The Air Traffic Control Tower is located to North of Apron and is having Aerodrome Control (ADC), Surface Movement Control(SMC) and Approach Control (APP)Units.
The air traffic services unit is provided with meteorological information<ref>{{cite web|title=Airport website |url=http://www.aai.aero/allAirports/tuticorin_technicalinfo.jsp |access-date=26 October 2011}}</ref>

==Expansion==

A master plan for upgrading the airport in phases had been prepared by the [[Ministry of Civil Aviation (India)|Ministry of Civil Aviation]]. [[Government of Tamil Nadu]] has handed over 600.97 acres of land free from encumbrance to the [[Airports Authority of India]] on 31 December 2018 for the expansion. An additional 110 acres of land has been set aside for the [[Indian Air Force]] and the [[Indian Coastguard]]. As part of the 96.77 crore expansion project initiated on 25 July 2020 the following activities are planned.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sudhakar |first1=P. |title=Expansion of Thoothukudi airport runway begins |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/expansion-of-thoothukudi-airport-runway-begins/article32192407.ece |access-date=25 July 2020 |work=The Hindu |date=25 July 2020 |language=en-IN}}</ref>
* Expansion of runway width from {{convert|30|to|45|m|abbr=on}} to handle Code-4C aircraft.
* Expansion of the apron to accommodate five A321 aircraft measuring {{convert|191|x|89|m|abbr=on}} in dimension.
* New isolation bay to handle Code C aircraft and a taxi link way of {{convert|244.4|x|30|m|abbr=on}}.

On 29 June 2020, the night landing facilities have been established at the airport and it commenced its first operation on 3 July 2020 to [[Chennai International Airport|Chennai]] via [[IndiGo]] airlines at 7pm.

In September 2020, the Airports Authority of India stated that it is initiating a project that includes widening the runway, constructing new air traffic control tower and a new terminal building at total cost of {{INR}}381 [[crore]]. It will be operationalised by March 2023. The new terminal building will cover an area of 13,530 square metres and will be able to handle 600 passengers during peak hours. Construction of a new ATC tower cum technical block, fire station, isolation bay, aprons and five aircraft parking bays for A-320 type aircraft is also part of the project.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tuticorin Airport Being Upgraded For Rs 381 Crore: Airports Authority Of India|url=https://www.bloombergquint.com/amp/business/tuticorin-airport-undergoing-upgrade-at-the-cost-of-rs-381-crore-aai#aoh=16008352819563&referrer=https://www.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251$s|access-date=18 September 2020|website=www.bloombergquint.com}}</ref>

==Airlines and destinations==
{{Airport destination list
|[[IndiGo]]|[[Kempegowda International Airport|Bangalore]], [[Chennai International Airport|Chennai]]
}}

==Naming the airport==
* After the death of former [[president of India]] [[A. P. J. Abdul Kalam]], there have been requests made to name the airport as ''"Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam International Airport"'' after the approval of international status to the airport by [[Union Council of Ministers|Union Cabinet]].{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

* Indian actor turned politician [[R. Sarathkumar]]'s [[All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi]] made a request to name the airport after the former [[chief minister of Tamil Nadu]] [[K. Kamaraj]] as ''"Kamarajar International Airport"''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hindutamil.in/news/tamilnadu/640552-sarathkumar-to-contest-from-tenkasi-radhika-from-kovilpatti-5.html|title=கல்விக் கட்டணம் அரசே கையாளும்; 24 மணி நேரமும் கடைகள் இயங்கும்: சமக தேர்தல் அறிக்கை வெளியீடு|work=இந்து தமிழ்|date=3 March 2021|access-date=3 March 2021}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://aai.aero/allAirports/tuticorin_generalinfo.jsp Official site at the Airports Authority of India]
*[http://worldaerodata.com/wad.cgi?id=IN99804&sch=Tuticorin Airport information for VEBI] at World Aero Data

{{Airports in India}}
{{Transport in Tamil Nadu}}

[[Category:Airports in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Transport in Thoothukudi]]
[[Category:Airports established in 1992]]
[[Category:1992 establishments in Tamil Nadu]]

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Tuticorin Airport