INDIA. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is set to expand Coimbatore, Tiruchi and Madurai Airports to handle wide-bodied jets and boost international passenger capacity.
AAI Chairman K. Ramalingam said Coimbatore would have a new international terminal building, besides extension of the runway to accommodate the Boeing-767-400 series. The project is expected to be completed by April 30.
The airport handled 13,788 international passengers during 2003-04, up from 10,901 in 2002-03, a +26.5% growth.
At Tiruchi Airport, the terminal will be expanded and the runway extended by September 30. It handled more than 99,511 international passengers during 2003-04 compared to 70,090 in 2002-03, registering a +42% jump.
Madurai airport will get a new terminal and runway extension by July next year. The airport registered a +23.3% upswing in international passengers during 2003-04.
Airport refurbishment is also taking place in Delhi and Mumbai. The first phase for modernisation and expansion of the two airports is likely to be completed by 2010.
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