Major airline operators including Air India, Indigo, and Scoot have committed to improving domestic and international air connectivity for Coimbatore following discussions with local industry associations.
Coimbatore: In a significant development for Coimbatore's air travel sector, multiple airline operators have committed to enhancing air connectivity for the city. This commitment came during a meeting organized as part of the Coimbatore NXT initiative, where the CII Coimbatore Zone, in collaboration with major industry associations including CODISSIA, SIEMA, and the Kongu Global Forum, met with representatives from key airlines including Air India, Indigo, and Scoot.
The primary agenda of the meeting was to discuss improving both domestic and international connectivity for Coimbatore. The focus was particularly on exploring better connectivity to international destinations like Dubai and Doha with direct flights, as well as one-stop flights to Europe and the United States.
During the discussions, industry bodies made several key requests to the airline representatives:
1. Introduction of day-time flights from Coimbatore to Pune
2. Improved timings for Coimbatore to Goa flights
3. One-stop flights to Ahmedabad and Kolkata
4. Increased air cargo facilities
V Murali, Manager of Passenger Sales for Tamil Nadu and Andhra at Scoot, provided some positive news. He assured that Scoot will restore daily flights to Singapore from August. Additionally, he committed to conveying to the management the demand to operate A321 series aircraft, which can carry 236 passengers.
Priyadarshan, Chief Manager of Sales for Tamil Nadu at Air India, highlighted the airline's focus on Coimbatore, describing it as a high-yielding market. He mentioned that Air India had launched two direct flights to Mumbai and one direct flight to Delhi in the last year, in addition to the existing flight to Chennai. Priyadarshan also announced that two more direct flights to Bengaluru will be commenced from Coimbatore shortly. Furthermore, he said the request to start an early morning direct flight to Delhi from Coimbatore would be considered positively.
Srinivasan, Sales Head for Tamil Nadu at Indigo, provided perhaps the most exciting news for international travelers. He stated that Coimbatore will have international flights from Indigo soon. The airline will discuss with higher officials the demand to start flights to Doha, Dubai, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, and Colombo. Indigo will also explore the cargo potential for these routes.
Regarding domestic connectivity, Srinivasan said that early morning flights to Pune and restoration of afternoon flights to Goa, along with one-stop flights to Ahmedabad and Kolkata, will be discussed and implemented based on availability.
The meeting was attended by several key figures from local industry associations:
- Arjun Prakash, Past Chairman of CII Coimbatore Zone
- M Karthikeyan, President of CODISSIA
- Sathish, Director of Kongu Global Forum
- Mithun Ramdass, Vice-President of SIEMA
Also present were steering committee members of Coimbatore NXT including T.V. Sriram, Shrikumaravelu, and Ashwin Manohar, as well as representatives from SKAL and the Erode Tour Operators' Association.
This development is expected to significantly boost Coimbatore's connectivity, potentially leading to increased business opportunities and tourism for the region. The commitments made by the airlines, if implemented, would not only improve domestic travel options but also put Coimbatore on the international air travel map, opening up new avenues for growth and development.
The primary agenda of the meeting was to discuss improving both domestic and international connectivity for Coimbatore. The focus was particularly on exploring better connectivity to international destinations like Dubai and Doha with direct flights, as well as one-stop flights to Europe and the United States.
During the discussions, industry bodies made several key requests to the airline representatives:
1. Introduction of day-time flights from Coimbatore to Pune
2. Improved timings for Coimbatore to Goa flights
3. One-stop flights to Ahmedabad and Kolkata
4. Increased air cargo facilities
V Murali, Manager of Passenger Sales for Tamil Nadu and Andhra at Scoot, provided some positive news. He assured that Scoot will restore daily flights to Singapore from August. Additionally, he committed to conveying to the management the demand to operate A321 series aircraft, which can carry 236 passengers.
Priyadarshan, Chief Manager of Sales for Tamil Nadu at Air India, highlighted the airline's focus on Coimbatore, describing it as a high-yielding market. He mentioned that Air India had launched two direct flights to Mumbai and one direct flight to Delhi in the last year, in addition to the existing flight to Chennai. Priyadarshan also announced that two more direct flights to Bengaluru will be commenced from Coimbatore shortly. Furthermore, he said the request to start an early morning direct flight to Delhi from Coimbatore would be considered positively.
Srinivasan, Sales Head for Tamil Nadu at Indigo, provided perhaps the most exciting news for international travelers. He stated that Coimbatore will have international flights from Indigo soon. The airline will discuss with higher officials the demand to start flights to Doha, Dubai, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, and Colombo. Indigo will also explore the cargo potential for these routes.
Regarding domestic connectivity, Srinivasan said that early morning flights to Pune and restoration of afternoon flights to Goa, along with one-stop flights to Ahmedabad and Kolkata, will be discussed and implemented based on availability.
The meeting was attended by several key figures from local industry associations:
- Arjun Prakash, Past Chairman of CII Coimbatore Zone
- M Karthikeyan, President of CODISSIA
- Sathish, Director of Kongu Global Forum
- Mithun Ramdass, Vice-President of SIEMA
Also present were steering committee members of Coimbatore NXT including T.V. Sriram, Shrikumaravelu, and Ashwin Manohar, as well as representatives from SKAL and the Erode Tour Operators' Association.
This development is expected to significantly boost Coimbatore's connectivity, potentially leading to increased business opportunities and tourism for the region. The commitments made by the airlines, if implemented, would not only improve domestic travel options but also put Coimbatore on the international air travel map, opening up new avenues for growth and development.