The Tamil Nadu government has transferred 543.41 acres of land to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for the expansion of Madurai Airport, which requires a total of 653.35 acres. The project includes extending the runway from 2,285 meters to 3,810 meters to accommodate Code-E aircraft such as Boeing 777 and Airbus A330, along with developing the runway strip, apron, parallel taxi track, a new terminal building, and a cargo terminal. Currently, the airport's integrated terminal covers 17,560 square meters and handles 2.9 million passengers annually. According to the National Civil Aviation Policy of 2016, state governments must provide land free of cost for airport projects. The remaining 109.94 acres are yet to be handed over. The Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, stated that a definitive timeline for completion cannot be given as progress depends on land acquisition, regulatory clearances, obstacle removal, and financial closure by developers. The expansion aims to enhance the airport's capacity and accommodate larger aircraft, supporting regional connectivity and growth. (Updated 22 Aug 2025, 11:06 IST; source: link)