Passenger movement at Chennai airport’s domestic terminal falls

Passenger movement at Chennai airport’s domestic terminal falls

CHENNAI: There has been a fall in passenger and aircraft movement at the domestic terminal of the Chennai airport in the last six months.Records show that from April to September this year, 32.45 lakh passengers travelled in the domestic sector, against 36.83 lakh during the corresponding period last year.

Aircraft movement was 42,765 from April to September this year against 43,592 during the corresponding period last year.Airports Authority of India (AAI) sources say passenger movement recorded a negative growth rate of 12 per cent and aircraft movement recorded a negative growth rate of 2 per cent in the last six months since April this year.

The reasons

Increase in the cost of aviation turbine fuel is being cited as a major factor for the fall. This has forced airlines to prune operations. While some have reduced the number of services from Chennai to other destinations, a couple of others have suspended operations from Chennai, say the AAI sources. With the opening of new airports in Bangalore and Hyderabad, a few airlines have cancelled short-haul flights. This is another reason for reduction in passenger movement in the domestic sector, the sources say.Consolidation in the airline industry is another reason for the reduction in the number of flights.

For example, Air Sahara and Jet Airways were operating different flights from Chennai to New Delhi. With their merger, the Air Sahara flight to Delhi was cancelled. Another example is Kingfisher and Air Deccan, who were operating to Bangalore and Madurai separately. After Air Deccan was bought over by Kingfisher some of the Deccan flights were cancelled. Again, promotional offers by low cost airlines have been scrapped and ticket costs have gone up.

A senior AAI officer says among the three major airports in the southern region, Chennai is the least affected.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/11/01/stories/2008110160160800.htm