New Tiruchi airport terminal yet to become functional

TIRUCHI: Over a month after its formal inauguration, the new terminal of the Tiruchi airport, built at an investment of Rs.80 crore, is yet to become functional much to the disappointment of the travel trade and passengers.

The state-of-the-art terminal was opened on February 21. The main hurdle, sources in the airport say, was a disagreement over the user charges to be collected from the airlines for the Common User Terminal Equipment (CUTE), a common network for all users that is to be introduced in 13 non-metro airports by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in association with SITA.

Some of the airlines, including the national carrier Air India, feel that the user charges were too high. Except Sri Lankan Airlines, none of the other airlines operating from here have signed the agreement so far. A high level meeting between senior AAI and Air India officials were held recently at New Delhi to discuss the issue and a decision was expected soon, the sources said.

However, a section of the air operators say that several other issues also need to be resolved. The strength of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has to be considerably augmented for three shift deployment, if the airport were to function round-the-clock.

Currently, no operation is allowed between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. owing to the manpower constraint faced by the CISF. Even the existing CISF strength has come down as some of the men have been drafted for poll duty, it was pointed out.

But airport officials indicate that they are ready to begin operations at the new terminal with the existing CISF strength though with the existing restricted operational hours. A survey on the manpower requirement of the CISF has already been made.

Airlines say that they have been receiving complaints from passengers over the amenities at the existing terminal and want the AAI to make the new terminal operational at the earliest. Even the baggage conveyor belt at the existing terminal has been shifted to the new terminal, posing much difficulty, they complain.

Sources in the Air Operators Committee say that certain works and amenities such as electrical and data connection for Immigration, feeder belt connections from the departure check-in counter to the main conveyor belt and in-line baggage screening system were yet to be completed/provided at the new terminal.

But airport officials contend that these were minor issues that could be sorted out once the major problem over the CUTE is resolved. “Once the airlines sign the agreement, we will be ready to move into the new terminal within a week’s time,” the airport source said.