In a letter to the Civil Aviation Minister, the Kongu Global Forum urged the inclusion of Coimbatore in Bilateral Air Services Agreements, citing the growing demand for international connectivity from the region.
Coimbatore: The Kongu Global Forum, representing key stakeholders in Western Tamil Nadu, has officially requested the inclusion of Coimbatore in the Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASA) and the ASEAN BASA. In a letter addressed to the Civil Aviation Minister, the Forum highlighted that the current BASA structure mainly benefits metropolitan cities and a few tier-2 cities, leaving Coimbatore, a rapidly developing tier-2 city, underserved in terms of international flight connectivity.
With a catchment area covering seven districts and a population exceeding three crores, Coimbatore currently has limited international flight operations, with only three flights—two to Singapore and one to Sharjah—by foreign carriers. Despite the significant demand, as evidenced by recent expressions of interest from international airlines such as Air Asia X, Fly Dubai, and Qatar Airways during the Aviation Conclave in Coimbatore, the city's status as a non-Point of Call has prevented these carriers from initiating services.
The Forum argues that including Coimbatore as a Point of Call in the BASA and ASEAN BASA would not negatively impact existing hubs but rather provide much-needed international connectivity to the people of Western Tamil Nadu. Furthermore, with the Airport Authority of India developing a larger terminal at Coimbatore Airport, the Forum believes it is imperative to accommodate more foreign carriers to support the region's growth.
The Forum has appealed to the Civil Aviation Minister to recognize the connectivity needs of Coimbatore and include it in the relevant agreements, ensuring a level playing field for the city's continued economic development.
With a catchment area covering seven districts and a population exceeding three crores, Coimbatore currently has limited international flight operations, with only three flights—two to Singapore and one to Sharjah—by foreign carriers. Despite the significant demand, as evidenced by recent expressions of interest from international airlines such as Air Asia X, Fly Dubai, and Qatar Airways during the Aviation Conclave in Coimbatore, the city's status as a non-Point of Call has prevented these carriers from initiating services.
The Forum argues that including Coimbatore as a Point of Call in the BASA and ASEAN BASA would not negatively impact existing hubs but rather provide much-needed international connectivity to the people of Western Tamil Nadu. Furthermore, with the Airport Authority of India developing a larger terminal at Coimbatore Airport, the Forum believes it is imperative to accommodate more foreign carriers to support the region's growth.
The Forum has appealed to the Civil Aviation Minister to recognize the connectivity needs of Coimbatore and include it in the relevant agreements, ensuring a level playing field for the city's continued economic development.