AAI plans to turn Trichy Airport’s unused old terminal into shopping complex

The airport authority has hired a private consultant to study how to make use of the old building and bring in revenue. (Credit: @UpdatesChennai/X)

A year after the launch of the new integrated terminal at Trichy International Airport, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is looking into new uses for the now-unused old terminal building. One of the main proposals under consideration is to turn it into a hotel and shopping complex. However, the final decision has not yet been made, The Times of India reported.

The old terminal building with a combined area of 14,450 square metres was decommissioned on June 11, 2024, after the new integrated terminal built at Rs 1,112 crore became operational.

Meanwhile, the airport authority has hired a private consultant to study how to make use of the old building and bring in revenue. According to the TOI report, one suggestion in the report was to redevelop the 16-year-old structure into a combined hotel and shopping area.

Before this can happen, AAI says that entry and exit points must be redesigned to prevent visitors from entering the airport’s flight operation zones. However, other stakeholders including exporters have objected to the plan.

Exporters and local stakeholders believe the old terminal should continue serving aviation needs. "There are two floors in the old terminal, the ground floor can be allocated for export operations as perishable commodities like vegetables require air-conditioning. First floor can be used as office space including for airline operators, but the shopping mall inside an airport will not support the aviation developments," G Sathish Kumar, secretary, Export Import Federation Trichy (EIFT), was quoted by TOI as saying.

The old terminal also has three aerobridges, which are valuable for future passenger needs. Many believe removing these for commercial use would be short-sighted.
"In future, we will require additional space to meet the surging passenger traffic of Trichy airport. The old terminal can be operated exclusively for domestic flight services. We will conduct a stakeholder meeting to finalise an option," Trichy MP Durai Vaiko, chairman, airport advisory committee, was quoted by TOI as saying.

An AAI official noted that the new terminal is designed to be expanded when needed. Also, the existing cargo terminal can handle current export demands. "Aerobridges and other crucial components can be shifted and reused in other airports. A final decision will be taken soon," an AAI official told TOI.