Madurai Airport

Madurai Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerMinistry of Civil Aviation
OperatorAirports Authority of India
ServesMadurai metropolitan area
LocationMadurai, Tamil Nadu, India
Opened1942 (1942)
Elevation AMSL136 m / 446 ft
Coordinates09°50′01″N 078°05′22″E / 9.83361°N 78.08944°E / 9.83361; 78.08944
Websiteaai.aero/en/airports/madurai
Map
IXM
Location of airport in Tamil Nadu
IXM
IXM (India)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
09/27 2,285 7,497 Asphalt
Statistics (April 2024 - March 2025)
Passengers1,399,046 ( 8.8%)
Aircraft movements13,513 ( 13.3%)
Cargo tonnage3,494 ( 6.1%)
Source: Airports Authority of India[1][2][3]

Madurai Airport (IATA: IXM, ICAO: VOMD) is an international airport in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is the fourth busiest airport by passenger traffic in the state after Chennai, Coimbatore, and Tiruchirappalli airports. The airport is located about 12 km (7.5 mi) south of the city centre. As of January 2026, four airlines operate commercial services from the airport to eight destinations including three international destinations.

The airport was established as an airfield for the Royal Air Force in 1942 during the Second World War, and was later used for cargo operations. After the Indian independence, the airport opened in 1952 with commercial passenger flights resuming soon after. The runway was extended in the 1980s to handle larger narrow body aircraft. It saw limited domestic operations till the 2000s.

The airport went through a modernisation programme in the late 2000s, with a new passenger terminal was opened in 2010. It was notified as a customs airport, with permission for limited international flights in 2011, and international services started in 2012. The old passenger terminal was converted to a cargo terminal and cargo operations at the airport began in December 2017. On 10 March 2026, the union cabinet approved the proposal to designate the airport as an international airport. The airport has a single runway, equipped with an Cat I Instrument Landing System, and seven parking bays.

History

An airfield was established at Madurai by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War in 1942.[4][5] After the war, the airstrip was used to ferry mail and newspapers. After the Indian independence, the airport was revived, and was opened as a domestic airport in 1952.[6] The first passenger flight operated from Madras to Trivandrum via Madurai using a Fokker Friendship aircraft in 1956.[5][6] Flights operated from the airport to Colombo in the early 1960s.[7] In the mid 1970s, the runway was strengthened and extended to handle larger narrow body aircraft, with Indian Airlines operating Boeing 737 aircraft to the airport soon after. In the 1980s, Indian Airlines started operating regular flights to Bangalore using Hawker Siddeley HS 748 aircraft, and later Vayudoot operated flights from Madurai to Madras, Coimbatore, and Trichy.[6]

In the 1990s, the airport saw a number of companies operate flight services from the airport. East-West Airlines operated services to Bombay and Trivandrum from 1992 to 1996. In the mid 1990s, briefly, Indian Airlines was the only carrier operating from the airport, with services to Madras. NEPC Airlines launched daily flight services from Madurai to Madras and Trichy briefly, before it shut down in 1997, and later Indian Airlines extended its Madras service to Bombay. Jet Airways began operations in the late 1990s with connections from Madurai to Bombay initially and Madras later. In the mid 2000s, Simplifly Deccan and Paramount Airways operated flights to Bangalore and Chennai respectively. However, both the airlines wound up operations during the Great Recession in the late 2000s.[6]

In the late 2000s, the airport was selected to be modernised as a part of a plan by Airports Authority of India (AAI) to upgrade 35 Indian non-metro airports, and a new passenger terminal was opened in September 2010.[6][5] [8] Later that year, SpiceJet started services to Chennai, Delhi, and Mumbai with Hyderabad added later.[6] On 31 December 2011 The airport was notified as customs airport, which enabled the airport to handle limited international operations and it came into effect from 1 January 2012.[9] Two chartered flights from Malaysia landed at the airport on 25 August 2012, making them the first international aircraft to land at the airport after the declaration.[10] The first commercial international flight began on 20 September 2012 with SpiceJet operating a maiden service to Colombo.[11] In 28 May 2013, the Government of India permitted cargo operations at the airport,[12] which became operational from 15 December 2017.[13] IndiGo launched operations from the airport in March 2017 with a maiden service to Delhi via Chennai.[14] On 17 October 2018, visa on arrival facility was introduced for passengers traveling from select countries.[15] On 10 March 2026, the union cabinet approved the proposal to designate the airport as an international airport.[16][17]

Infrastructure

The airport has a single 2,285 m (7,497 ft) long runway equipped with Cat-I Instrument Landing System. There are two parallel taxiways adjacent to the runway. The airport has seven parking bays including two stands equipped with jet bridges.[6][5]

Terminals

The airport has two adjacent terminals, the integrated passenger terminal which was inaugurated on 12 September 2010, and the old passenger terminal which was recommissioned as a cargo terminal. The new passenger terminal was built as a part of a plan to upgrade the airport in the late 2000s.[8][18] The terminal is spread over an area of 17,600 m2 (189,000 sq ft) and has a capacity to handle about 500 passengers per hour.[19] The terminal houses 36 check-in counters, 20 immigration counters, two security counters, two baggage scanners, and four baggage conveyors.[5][20][21] There are two lounges–a VIP lounge managed by AAI and a Commercial Important Persons lounge managed by Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry.[22]

Following the inauguration of the new passenger terminal, the Government of India announced plans to convert the old terminal to handle cargo operations in 2013. The refurbished cargo terminal was opened on 28 November 2017.[19][23] The airport parking area has the capacity to park 375 cars and 10 buses.[5][24]

Future plans

As a part of the modernisation plan in the late 2000s, plans were made for the construction of additional terminal buildings, and a new Air Traffic Control tower, and expansion of the runway.[25] About 610 acres (250 ha) of land is required for the planned expansion and extension of the runway to 12,500 ft (3,800 m) to enable it to handle wide body aircraft.[26] However, problems with land acquisition has resulted in delays in the proposed expansion plan.[27]

Airlines and destinations

As of January 2026, four airlines operate commercial services from the airport to eight destinations including three international destinations. While there are demands for additional international flights from Madurai,[28], the airport is allowed to handle only limited international flights and as it is not part of the Bilateral aviation safety agreement, international air carriers have shown reluctance for operating flights from the airport.[29][30]

AirlinesDestinations
Air India[31] Chennai,[32] Mumbai[33]
IndiGo[34] Abu Dhabi,[35] Bengaluru,[36] Chennai,[37] Delhi,[37] Hyderabad,[37] Mumbai[37]
SpiceJet[38] Chennai,[39] Dubai–International[40]
SriLankan Airlines Colombo–Bandaranaike[41]

Incidents and accidents

On 9 December 1971, an Avro 748 (registered VT-DXG), arriving from Trivandrum, crashed in to Meghamalai hills, while descending into the airport. The accident occurred in reduced visibility, and resulted in the deaths of all four crew members and 17 of the 27 passengers on board.[42][43]

References

  1. ^ Annexure III – Passenger Data (PDF). Airports Authority of India (Report). Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  2. ^ Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data (PDF). Airports Authority of India (Report). Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  3. ^ Annexure IV – Freight Movement Data (PDF). Airports Authority of India (Report). Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  4. ^ "When will airport improve". Dinamalar (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Madurai international airport". Airport technology. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g "Madurai airport". Airports Authority of India. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  7. ^ Techno-economic Survey of Kerala. National Council of Applied Economic Research. 1962. p. 135.
  8. ^ a b "New Terminal at Madurai airport inaugurated". Business Line. 12 September 2010. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  9. ^ "Customs facility for Madurai airport". The Hindu. 6 January 2011. Archived from the original on 7 January 2011.
  10. ^ "Two international flights greet Madurai". The Times of India. 26 August 2012. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013.
  11. ^ "Finally, Madurai gets international connectivity". The Times of India. 21 September 2012. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013.
  12. ^ "Centre clears cargo movement at Madurai airport". The Hindu. 30 May 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  13. ^ "Madurai airport to handle international cargo from 15 Dec". Business Line. 30 November 2017. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  14. ^ "IndiGo launches Madurai operations". The Times of India. 1 March 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  15. ^ "e-Visa on arrival introduced at Madurai airport". The Times of India. 17 October 2018. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  16. ^ "Cabinet approves international status for Madurai Airport". ANI. 10 March 2026. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  17. ^ "At last, Madurai Airport becomes international terminal". The Hindu. 10 March 2026. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  18. ^ "Madurai airport expansion planned". The Hindu. 28 March 2008. Archived from the original on 29 March 2008.
  19. ^ a b "Madurai airport may get new terminal building". The Hindu. 21 November 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  20. ^ AAI update (PDF). Airports Authority of India (Report). August 2011. p. 13. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2012.
  21. ^ "Airports Authority of India". 6 January 2011. Archived from the original on 20 February 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  22. ^ "Madurai : CIP lounge taken on lease". The Hindu. 23 January 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  23. ^ "Land acquisition for Madurai airport soon". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013.
  24. ^ "Legislators, tour operators demand international flights from Madurai". NDTV. 29 April 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  25. ^ "Madurai airport to handle foreign cargo". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  26. ^ "New airport terminal to boost industrial growth". The Hindu. 21 September 2010. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  27. ^ Oppili, P. (21 May 2013). "Madurai, Tuticorin airports to get land soon for expansion". The Hindu.
  28. ^ "TN Chamber of Commerce urges airlines to operate flights between Madurai-Kuala Lumpur". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  29. ^ "CM promises steps to increase Singapore-Madurai flights". The Times of India. 26 May 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  30. ^ "10 years on, wait for Madurai airport to work 24x7 continues". The Times of India. 16 December 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  31. ^ "Winter Schedule 2025-26: Air India". Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  32. ^ "Air India to resume services from Madurai to Chennai, New Delhi". The New Indian Express. 30 October 2025. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  33. ^ "More domestic, international flights from Madurai by March". The Times of India. 4 October 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  34. ^ "Winter Schedule 2025-26: IndiGo". Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  35. ^ "IndiGo to operate direct flight service between Madurai and Abu Dhabi from June 13". The Hindu. 14 May 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  36. ^ Pavithran, Lekshmy (21 June 2025). "'Mayday' alert: IndiGo flight with 168 passengers makes emergency landing after fuel emergency". Gulf News. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  37. ^ a b c d "At least 10 services from Trichy, Madurai cancelled". The Times of India. 6 December 2025. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  38. ^ "Winter Schedule 2025-26: SpiceJet". Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  39. ^ "13 Flights Cancelled At Chennai Airport, Several Flyers Affected". ETV Bharat. 11 December 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  40. ^ "SpiceJet revises Dubai–Madurai direct flight timings". DT Next. 5 January 2026. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  41. ^ "SriLankan Airlines All Set to Welcome Indian Travellers This Winter Season". Hans India. 11 December 2025. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  42. ^ "Accident Summary 1971" (PDF). Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  43. ^ "Hero of an air crash". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 30 June 2003. Retrieved 8 August 2018.

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