To give a major boost in air connectivity, the airportin Tuticorin is being upgraded to be able to accommodate larger aircraft such as Airbus 321. Currently, the airport handles only ATRs, which can seat about 78 passengers. However, the larger aircrafts can carry nearly 250.

The Rs 381-crore upgradation work at the airport is likely to be completed in the December quarter. The airport will also have the capacity to handle international flights. The upgradation is also critical for the industry, considering that large industrial projects worth over Rs 80,000 crore are coming up in the vicinity. The Tamil Nadu government has acquired 106 acres for the project. The runway extension is being done by the Mumbai-based Tarmat. KEC International is building the 17,341-sq. mtrs. new terminal building. The existing terminal is just around 1,000 sq. mtrs.

The runway is extended to 3,115 mtrs. in length and 45 mtrs. in width (from the current 1,350 mtrs. and 30 mtrs.), and will become the second longest in the state, after Chennai (3,611 mtrs.). The departure side will have four entry gates, with 21 check-in counters and seven X-ray baggage scanners at the ground level.

A new 45-mtrs. Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower has also been to meet the expansion needs. A four-lane approach road to the new terminal building is being laid on the western end, while the approach road is also being widened into a four-lane road. However after the upgradation, long-distance flights to Delhi and Mumbai will be operated.