Coimbatore Airport Expansion: ₹2,200-Crore Plan Gets NITI Aayog Approval

Coimbatore International Airport’s long-awaited expansion plan has moved closer to implementation, with the ₹2,200-crore master plan receiving approval from NITI Aayog.

Airport Director Mohammad Arif said the proposal is now awaiting clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Expenditure. The expansion is aimed at increasing the airport’s capacity and creating infrastructure capable of handling the city’s growing passenger traffic.

The project will require an additional 627 acres of land alongside the airport’s existing 420-acre footprint. Of the required land, 621 acres have already been handed over to the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The remaining six acres, though acquired by the district administration, are expected to be transferred shortly.

Once the land is fully handed over and the remaining approvals are secured, the airport expansion could be completed in around three years, according to the airport director.

New terminal to handle 12 million passengers

A key component of the expansion is a new terminal building spread across approximately 75,000 square metres. The terminal is planned to handle up to 12 million passengers annually, significantly increasing the airport’s capacity.

The existing terminal covers 18,000 square metres and currently handles nearly 3.5 million passengers a year, against its designed capacity of 3.63 million passengers. With passenger traffic continuing to increase, the existing facility is approaching its operational limits.

The new terminal is expected to increase peak-hour handling capacity from the current 1,770 passengers to around 4,200 passengers.

In the interim, the airport is also undertaking an expansion of its existing terminal. The work, initially scheduled for completion in August, is expected to be completed by December 2026. It will add around 1,000 square metres of additional space and help ease congestion until the larger terminal becomes operational.

Environmental clearance process underway

The expansion has also moved through several technical and environmental approval stages. The State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) issued the Terms of Reference to AAI in July.

AAI is currently preparing the Environment Impact Assessment report required for further clearance. According to the airport director, around 75% to 80% of the technical compliance requirements have already been completed.

The scale of the proposed expansion reflects Coimbatore’s growing role as a major industrial and commercial centre in Tamil Nadu. The airport serves passengers travelling for business, manufacturing, tourism and other economic activities across the region.

With land acquisition substantially completed and key approvals progressing, the next major steps will involve securing the remaining clearances and moving towards construction of the new terminal and associated airport infrastructure.