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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 1789
TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 9th March 2026
FLIGHT CONNECTIVITY IN TAMIL NADU
1789. SHRI ANTHIYUR P. SELVARASU
Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION be pleased to state:-
(a) whether Government has examined the adequacy of flight connectivity available from
Salem airport for residents of Erode district, the State of Tamil Nadu, particularly for onward
travel and time-sensitive journeys;
(b) if so, the details of consultations undertaken with airlines and airport authorities to add
new destinations and improve flight frequency and scheduling; and
(c) the measures proposed to ensure stable operations of additional routes, affordable fares
and improved passenger convenience benefiting Erode district users?
ANSWER
Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION (Shri Murlidhar
Mohol)
(a) to (c): Salem Airport is presently connected to the cities namely
Bengaluru, Shamshabad, Kochi, and Chennai, with 58 weekly flight movements (arrivals +
departures) operated by M/s IndiGo and M/s Alliance Air.
Under the UDAN 5.0 round of bidding, RCS routes connecting Salem Airport with
Bengaluru and Kochi were awarded to Alliance Air, and the airline commenced flight
operations on these routes w.e.f. 16.10.2023. Additionally, RCS routes connecting Salem
with Bengaluru and Hyderabad, with a frequency of four flights per week, have been awarded
to IndiGo. The airline commenced RCS flight operations on these routes as per the assigned
frequencies on 30.10.2023.
Further, with the repeal of the Air Corporations Act in March 1994, Indian domestic aviation
has been deregulated. Airlines are free to induct capacity with any aircraft type and to select
the markets and networks they wish to serve and operate. Hence, it is for the airline operators
to consider the introduction or expansion of air services to/from any airport in the country,
depending upon their operational and commercial viability.
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