Executive Summary:
This document is the Ministry of Civil Aviation's response to questions raised in Lok Sabha regarding the inclusion of Tiruchirappalli International Airport as a Point of Call (PoC) in Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASAs) with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The response clarifies the current status, existing agreements, and future considerations related to this matter. The date of the response is August 21, 2025.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Tiruchirappalli as a Point of Call:**
* There is no proposal under consideration to include Tiruchirappalli as a Point of Call (PoC) in the Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASAs) with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
* The government promotes international operations by Indian carriers from non-metro points like Tiruchirappalli, but does not grant new PoCs in BASAs to foreign countries for these airports.
* **Current Flight Operations:**
* Air India operates flights from Tiruchirappalli to GCC countries, specifically Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE (Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Dubai).
* **Existing BASAs with GCC Countries:**
* India has Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASAs) with all GCC countries.
* The designated Points of Call (PoCs) for foreign carriers under these agreements are listed in the annexure.
* **Points of Call Annexure Summary:**
* Bahrain: Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Trivandrum, Cochin, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Calicut, Goa
* Kuwait: Mumbai, Delhi, Trivandrum, Chennai, Cochin, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bangalore
* Oman: Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Cochin, Trivandrum, Lucknow, Jaipur, Bangalore, Calicut, Goa
* Qatar: Mumbai, Kolkata, Trivandrum, Hyderabad, Cochin, Delhi, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Calicut, Goa, Amritsar, Bangalore
* Saudi Arabia: Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Cochin, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Calicut, Lucknow
* UAE (Abu Dhabi): Mumbai, Delhi, Trivandrum, Cochin, Chennai, Calicut, Jaipur, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad
* UAE (Dubai): Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Cochin, Hyderabad, Trivandrum, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Calicut, Lucknow
* UAE (Rasal Khaimah): Any 1 point out of Cochin, Trivandrum, Calicut
* UAE (Sharjah): Mumbai, Nagpur, Cochin, Jaipur, Trivandrum, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Delhi, Calicut, Hyderabad, Goa
Impact Analysis:
* **Tiruchirappalli Airport:**
* Impact: Tiruchirappalli Airport will not be added as a Point of Call (PoC) in Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASAs) with GCC countries in the immediate future.
* Action Required: Continue to support and facilitate international operations by Indian carriers.
* **Travellers from Central and Southern Tamil Nadu:**
* Impact: Travellers may need to continue relying on existing routes and airlines for travel to the Gulf region, possibly involving connections through metro airports.
* Action Required: Monitor flight options and plan travel accordingly.
* **Ministry of Civil Aviation:**
* Impact: No immediate changes to existing policies or negotiations are required regarding Tiruchirappalli's status as a PoC.
* Action Required: Continue promoting international operations by Indian carriers from non-metro points.
Key Entities Referenced
Tiruchirappalli International Airport: An international airport located in Tamil Nadu, India, seeking to be designated as a Point of Call (PoC) in Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASAs).
Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASAs): Agreements between countries that govern air services, including designated Points of Call (PoCs) for airlines.
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): A regional intergovernmental political and economic union consisting of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Point of Call (PoC): An airport designated in a Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) where airlines from the other country can operate.
Air India: The flag carrier airline of India that operates flights from Tiruchirappalli to GCC countries.
Tamil Nadu: A state in southern India, specifically mentioned as a region served by Tiruchirappalli International Airport.
Kuwait: A country in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region served by Air India flights from Tiruchirappalli.
United Arab Emirates (UAE): A country in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region served by Air India flights from Tiruchirappalli, specifically mentioning Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Dubai as destinations.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 4723
( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 21st August 2025 )
POINT OF CALL STATUS TO TIRUCHIRAPPALLI AIRPORT
4723. SHRI DURAI VAIKO
Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION
be pleased to state:-
(a) whether the Government proposes to include Tiruchirappalli International Airport as a
Point of Call (PoC) in the Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASAs) with Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) countries and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether the Government is aware that Tiruchirappalli serves as a major international
departure point for workers and residents from central and southern Tamil Nadu travelling to
the Gulf region and if so, the details thereof;
(c) the number of BASAs currently in effect with GCC nations and the Indian airports
designated as Points of Call under each agreement;
(d) whether the Government proposes to revise existing BASAs or negotiate new ones with
Tiruchirappalli designated as a PoC to improve direct connectivity and reduce dependency on
other metro airports and if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the timeline fixed and process for ensuring Tiruchirappalli's inclusion as a PoC in future
bilateral aviation negotiations?
ANSWER
Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION (Shri Murlidhar
Mohol)
(a) to (e) There is no proposal under consideration in this Ministry to include Tiruchirappalli
as a Point of call (PoC) in the Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASAs) with Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.;
Currently, Air India is operating flights from Tiruchirappalli to countries in GCC namely
Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE (Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai).;
India has BASAs with all the GCC countries. The details of the point of calls designated
under these agreements is at Annexure. ;
At present, the Government of India promotes more international operations by Indian
carriers from non-metro points, including Tiruchirappalli, either directly or through their own
domestic operations. Accordingly, non-metro points are not granted as new points of call in
the BASAs to any foreign country.
******Annexure
S No. Country Designated Points of Call for foreign carriers
1 Bahrain Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Trivandrum, Cochin,
Bangalore, Hyderabad, Calicut, Goa
2 Kuwait Mumbai, Delhi, Trivandrum, Chennai, Cochin,
Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bangalore
3 Oman Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Cochin,
Trivandrum, Lucknow, Jaipur, Bangalore, Calicut, Goa
4 Qatar Mumbai, Kolkata, Trivandrum, Hyderabad, Cochin,
Delhi, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Calicut, Goa,
Amritsar, Bangalore
5 Saudi Arabia Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Cochin, Hyderabad,
Bangalore, Calicut, Lucknow
6 (i) UAE -Abu Dhabi Mumbai, Delhi, Trivandrum, Cochin, Chennai, Calicut,
Jaipur, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad
6 (ii) UAE -Dubai Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Cochin, Hyderabad,
Trivandrum, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Calicut, Lucknow
6 (iii) UAE -Ras-al- Any 1 point out of Cochin, Trivandrum, Calicut
Khaimah
6 (iv) UAE -Sharjah Mumbai, Nagpur, Cochin, Jaipur, Trivandrum, Chennai,
Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Delhi, Calicut,
Hyderabad, Goa
*****