Salem in Udaan 5.0, expectation of flight services soars

COIMBATORE: The inclusion of Salem under Udan 5.0 Scheme has raised high expectations among air passengers of resuming flight services.

The Salem airport has been lying idle after a solo flight service, which was operated by a private carrier between Salem and Chennai under the Udan 1 Scheme from March 25, 2018 flew last on June 2, 2021.

The state’s first flight service operated under Udan 1 was grounded during COVID-19 pandemic and stopped permanently even before the end of its extension period.

“Only Salem has been listed under Udan 5.0 scheme in Tamil Nadu. Air carriers can now come forward with proposals to operate aircrafts between any routes considered feasible for them. If many airlines bid to fly on the same route, then the carrier who quotes the cheap fare and offers better passenger amenities will be awarded operational rights,” said G Ramesh, Director of Salem Airport.

It may take a few months to identify the airlines and grant awards to operate flights. “Meanwhile, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has approached and persuaded several airlines to operate flights from Salem airport. They were informed that the flight service, already operated between Salem and Chennai, had good patronage. The private carriers were also aware that this sector has immense potential. So hopes are high for airlines to fly through soon,” he said.

Among the several airlines, the airports authorities are hopefully impressing upon a Bangalore-based airline and another from Puducherry to operate flights from Salem. “Both these airlines are new ventures and there is more chance for them to come over as other existing operators were running on other successful routes and also were over utilised,” Ramesh said.

Regarding the ongoing expansion works of Salem airport with one more apron, apart from the existing one, almost 80 per cent of works have got over and the remaining will be completed in another few months.

The Salem airport, which remained idle for long years was thrown open for flight services under Udan Scheme for a period of three years (2018- 2021) with a further extension of one year (2021-2022). The Udan Scheme introduced by the Centre envisages introducing flight services in tier-2 cities to promote better connectivity.