According to sources Salem airport, lying idle for seven years, saw a flurry of activity on Sunday when the first flight from Chennai arrived at the airport in Kamalapuram, about 15 km north-west of Salem. Meanwhile the Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and his Cabinet colleagues were among the passengers in the first direct flight that took off from Chennai to Salem.
Accordingly this direct flight service was launched under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) of Centre’s UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagarik) scheme. Meanwhile the flight, with a seating capacity of 72, will leave Chennai at 9.50 am and land at Salem airport at 10.40 am. The ATR 72-600 aircraft takes off from Salem at 11 am to reach Chennai at 11.50 am. The tickets are priced at Rs 1,499 per person.
Mr. Palaniswami said "Air service is very important as it will
facilitate the establishment of new industries which in turn lead to job
creation and economic development". Further according to him, the Centre
agreed to consider TN’s demand for air services at Thanjavur and Neyveli under
UDAN. Further the CM also announced that a green corridor between Salem and
Chennai would soon commence at a cost of Rs 10,000 crore.
