Include Madurai airport as a point of call under BASA: Trade body

Madurai: Founder and president of the Agri and All Trader Chamber, S Rethinavelu, has appealed to Union minister of civil aviation, Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, seeking to include Madurai airport as a point of call under the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) agreement, particularly with Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Dubai, Sharjah, Oman, and Kuwait, to enable airlines from these countries to operate direct international flights. He also sought to include Madurai as one of the tourism cities, along with 18 tourism cities recommended to the ASEAN single aviation market (ASAM).In a representation, Rethinavelu said, that the upgradation of Madurai airport as an international airport significantly accelerated the growth of trade, industry, and exports across the southern districts. He said Madurai and the southern districts of Tamil Nadu were a hub for food processing industries, a centre for the cultivation of vegetables, fruits, and flowers, with manufacturing activities of automobile parts and medical equipment, and opportunities to reach market destinations worldwide.He also referred to the upcoming AIIMS Madurai and said it significantly strengthened the city's healthcare infrastructure and attracted patients from across the globe. He said enhanced air connectivity provided strong impetus to medical tourism.