Chennai–Southern Tamil Nadu Air Travel Hit as Direct Flights Sell Out During Festive Rush

Passengers travelling from Chennai to southern districts of Tamil Nadu are experiencing significant hardship due to the non-availability of direct flights amid the peak Christmas–New Year holiday season.

With passenger demand far outstripping available seat capacity, airfares have surged sharply, and travel times have increased considerably, causing major inconvenience to holiday travellers.

As schools and colleges remain closed for extended vacations, a large number of residents from Chennai and its suburban areas have begun travelling to their hometowns to celebrate the festive season with family members. Airline officials confirmed that this has led to a steep rise in passenger traffic at Chennai International Airport, particularly on routes serving southern districts.

All direct flights from Chennai to Thoothukudi have been completely sold out for both Wednesday and Thursday. Consequently, passengers bound for Thoothukudi are being forced to seek indirect flight options. Many attempted bookings via Thiruvananthapuram, but those routes are also fully booked due to heightened festive demand.

With limited alternatives, several travellers are now compelled to route their journeys through Bengaluru, before proceeding to destinations such as Thiruvananthapuram or Thoothukudi. This has resulted in significantly higher ticket prices and extended travel durations.

Trips that would normally take just over an hour have stretched into full-day journeys, involving multiple flight segments and long layovers.

A similar situation prevails on routes connecting Chennai with Madurai, Tiruchi and Salem. With no direct seats available, passengers are being forced to take circuitous routes via Bengaluru, nearly doubling travel costs in some cases and adding to travel fatigue.

Passengers have raised concerns over the lack of capacity planning during peak festive seasons, noting that holiday travel demand is largely predictable. Many have urged airlines to operate additional flights or deploy larger aircraft on high-demand routes such as Thoothukudi, Madurai, Tiruchi, Salem and Coimbatore to ease congestion, control fare hikes, and ensure smoother festive travel.