₹60.7 Crore ATC Project Nears Completion at Trichy Airport

The new air traffic control (ATC) tower and technical block at Trichy International Airport are on track for completion by December 2025, according to the Airports Authority of India (AAI). Originally slated for completion earlier this year, the project has made significant progress, with approximately 75% of construction now finished.

Standing at 151 feet, the structure includes an eight-storey ATC block and a four-storey technical block. The ₹60.7 crore project began construction in mid-2023 and is strategically located between the airport’s old terminal and the new integrated passenger terminal. The location ensures controllers have a clear view of aircraft movements on the runway.

“We aim to complete construction by September, after which the DGCA will conduct inspections. If all goes to plan, the tower should be operational by December,” said S. Gnaneswara Rao, director of Trichy airport.

The new facility is being built to support the rising air traffic at the airport, which now handles 53 to 62 flights daily—up from 40 to 50 flights in February 2025. To enhance navigational capabilities, AAI has already commissioned a Doppler VHF Omni Range/Distance Measuring Equipment (DVOR/DME) system at the airport.

Meanwhile, aviation enthusiasts have urged authorities to preserve the existing ATC tower, operational since November 1960, proposing it be repurposed for educational or training use rather than demolished. AAI has yet to make a final decision on the structure’s future.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.