Gateway to the world, from Madurai Premium
The Hindu
Madurai Airport gains international status, enhancing tourism and connectivity for southern Tamil Nadu's growth and development.
After it was declared a customs airport in 2010, the Madurai airport has finally become an international terminal. The Union Cabinet Committee, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the proposal on March 10. The decision will facilitate the operation of flights to international destinations, especially to West Asian countries, Singapore, and Malaysia, which host a significant diaspora from southern Tamil Nadu.
One of the oldest airports of Tamil Nadu, Madurai has for long been the gateway to the southern districts till the Thoothukudi airport was inaugurated in 1992. The airstrip in Madurai that became operational in 1942 was used to fly newspapers from Chennai to Madurai. It became a civil airport in 1952 and started commercial operations in 1957.
With a small terminal building, the Madurai airport was handling only domestic services to destinations, including New Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai. The inauguration of the spacious integrated terminal in September 2010 renewed the demand for international flights. However, the airport was then accorded the status of customs-notified airport. That status equipped the airport with modern facilities, such as the 17,560-square metre integrated terminal comprising 36 check-in counters and aero-bridges.
The first international flight landed in Madurai in September 2012. Colombo became the first international destination to be connected with Madurai with SpiceJet launching its services. Soon, Mihin Lanka offered a service between Madurai and Colombo. The next year, Madurai got a direct flight to Dubai.
Only two international flights were in operation for long. Then came Air India Express with the first direct flight to Singapore in September 2017. To start with, the service operated four days a week and became a daily service by March 2018, thanks to the demand. Abu Dhabi became the fourth international destination linked to Madurai in 2025.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) made the Madurai Airport operational 24x7 from October 1, 2024. However, there were not many takers for the late-night and early morning flights.
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