Preliminary works to extend the runway of Coimbatore International Airport by another 800 meters have begun. The runway, currently 2,990 meters long and 45 meters wide, will be extended to 3,800 meters. This extension will enable the airport to accommodate wide-bodied aircraft capable of carrying a significant number of passengers. 

The Tamil Nadu government has handed over the land it acquired for the expansion of the airport to the Airports Authority of India, which has also acknowledged the transfer. With the preliminary works for the runway's expansion, the long-awaited expansion of Coimbatore airport appears to have started.

“Coimbatore stands next to Chennai, with 28 daily domestic flights connecting cities like Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Pune, and Goa. Four airlines operate international flights to Sharjah, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi. The total passenger movement stands at 9,400–10,000 per day,” a report by The Hindu mentioned.

On Sunday (24 November 2024), the airport handled 8,832 domestic passengers and 1,195 international passengers, surpassing the 10,000-passenger mark once again. The rise in international passengers is attributed to the recent addition of direct flights to Abu Dhabi and Singapore.

To enable more direct flights from Coimbatore to international destinations, the airport requires a higher passenger capacity, which necessitates accommodating larger aircraft. For this, the runway extension is essential.

With both the Central and State governments aligned on the airport's expansion, the airport expansion project is expected to progress steadily. Additionally, there is a strong appeal from Coimbatore residents for the Ministry of Civil Aviation to include Coimbatore airport as a point of call in the ASEAN Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) to boost international operations. 

Fly Dubai, the Emirati government-owned low-cost airline, operates about 30 flights a week to India, connecting eight cities. However, Coimbatore still lacks direct connectivity to Dubai via this airline.
Pran Sathiadasan, VP of Commercial Operations for the Indian Subcontinent at Fly Dubai, expressed interest in expanding operations to Coimbatore during his visit a few months ago.

“We would like Coimbatore to be added as a point of call,” he said, and he requested the Tamil Nadu government through the minister for tourism and Coimbatore’s industry & tourism sector to support this request with the Ministry of Civil Aviation to add more capacity to India.

“ Should we get that, we are happy to consider operating at least a daily service connecting Coimbatore with Dubai and beyond,” he said.