A view of the Madurai Airport Integrated Terminal Building. | Photo credit: G. Moorthy
The Union Cabinet on Tuesday (March 10, 2026) granted international airport status to the airport in the temple city of Madurai.
Reacting to the decision, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the move will boost the region’s global connectivity. “This will boost tourism, business and economic opportunities especially in southern Tamil Nadu. Madurai, a city celebrated for its timeless culture and spiritual heritage, is poised to strengthen its global connectivity,” Mr Modi said in a post on X.
The international airport is officially designated to handle scheduled international passenger and cargo flights and is equipped with all facilities such as immigration, customs and security checks.
Until now, Madurai Airport was classified as a customs airport, meaning that it had customs clearance facilities but was not fully authorized for regular scheduled international operations, although it could handle limited international flights.
The new status is expected to allow more regular international routes and easier approvals for foreign airlines.
Published – 10 March 2026 22:44 IST
