Madurai Airport Expansion: 543 Of 653 Acres Handed Over To AAI; Runway To Be Extended For Wide-Body Aircraft Ops

The expansion of Madurai Airport has gained momentum with the Tamil Nadu government handing over 543.41 acres of land to the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

AAI has sought a total of 653.35 acres for the project, which includes extending the runway from 2,285 metres to 3,810 metres to enable operations of Code-E type aircraft, including wide-body, long-haul jets such as the Boeing 777 and Airbus A330.

The plan also covers development of the runway strip, apron, parallel taxi track, a new terminal building, and a cargo terminal.

Currently, the integrated terminal building at Madurai Airport spans 17,560 square metres and has the capacity to handle 2.9 million passengers annually.

As per the National Civil Aviation Policy of 2016, state governments are required to provide land for airport projects free of cost and without encumbrances.

"AAI has requested the State Government of Tamil Nadu for 653.35 acres of land to facilitate comprehensive airport development," Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday (21 August).

"Out of the total land requirement, 543.41 acres have so far been handed over to AAI by the State Government," the minister added.

The remaining 109.94 acres needed for the project is yet to be transferred by the state to AAI.

The minister stated that while the expansion is underway, a definitive completion timeline cannot be given at this stage as project progress depends on factors such as land acquisition, regulatory clearances, removal of obstacles, and financial closure by airport developers.

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