MADURAI: The founder and president of Agri & All Trade Chamber in Madurai Mr.S.Rethinavelu who is also a member of Madurai Airport Advisory Committee has made a sensational comment today that a powerful lobby seems to be actively working against the rightful development of Madurai airport.
“Despite several representations with justifications, the Madurai airport has not been declared as an international airport. The reason for our disappointment stems from the sudden discontinuation of the popular Madurai-Singapore flight service by Air India Express without any valid reason despite strong passenger support. We are not able to understand our country’s airport policy. Some airports are declared as international airports even before construction such as Kannur, Ayodhya and Sabarimala whereas Madurai airport which is a top performer is not recognized. A powerful lobby seems to be working against Madurai airport’s development, thereby depriving it of necessary upgrades and even diverting the resources already allocated,” Mr.S.Rethinavelu, president, Agri & All Trade Chamber and a member of Madurai Airport Advisory Committee, has alleged in a press release issued from Madurai on June 12th 2025.
He pointed out that lack of direct international connectivity is one of the key reasons why south Tamil Nadu has not seen the kind of industrial and economic growth which is experienced in the northern and western parts of the State.
“The level of frustration here in Madurai region is enormous. There are 25 million people living in South Tamil Nadu and neighbouring districts. We are not asking for money, but just one signature by the relevant authorities. Our chamber welcomes the launch of a new direct flight service by IndiGo between Madurai and Abu Dhabi from June 13th 2025, and that has been made possible due to the continuous efforts of our chamber and various other bodies and because of the persistent pressure from the Madurai Airport Advisory Committee,” Mr.S.Rethinavelu has asked from Madurai today by pointing out that even though Madurai airport has been declared as a 24 X 7 operational airport from October last year, there is no airline that offers late night international services from Madurai airport.
