With her selection as President-elect Donald Trump ‘s incoming White House chief of staff, veteran Florida political strategist Susie Wiles moves from a largely behind-the-scenes role of campaign co-chair to the high-profile position of the president’s closest adviser and counsel.

Also read:Republicans take Senate majority and eye unified power with Trump

She’s been in political circles for years. But who is Ms. Wiles, the operative set to be the first woman to step into the powerful role of White House chief of staff?

The daughter of NFL player and sportscaster Pat Summerall, Ms. Wiles worked in the Washington office of New York Rep. Jack Kemp in the 1970s. Following that were stints on Ronald Reagan’s campaign and in his White House as a scheduler.

Ms. Wiles then headed to Florida, where she advised two Jacksonville mayors and worked for Rep. Tillie Fowler. After that came statewide campaigns in rough and tumble Florida politics, with Ms. Wiles being credited with helping businessman Rick Scott win the governor’s office.

After briefly managing Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman’s 2012 presidential campaign, she ran Mr. Trump’s 2016 effort in Florida, when his win in the state helped him clinch the White House.

Two years later, Ms. Wiles helped get Ron DeSantis elected as Florida’s governor. But the two would develop a rift that eventually led to DeSantis to urge Mr. Trump’s 2020 campaign to cuts its ties with the strategist, when she was again running the then-president’s state campaign.

Ms. Wiles ultimately went on to lead Mr. Trump’s primary campaign against DeSantis and trounced the Florida governor.

Ms. Wiles had posted just three times on X this year at the time of her announcement. Shortly before DeSantis dropped out of the presidential race in January, Ms. Wiles made a rare appearance on social media. She responded to a message that DeSantis had cleared his campaign website of upcoming events with a short but clear message: “Bye, bye.”

Joining up with Mr. Trump’s third campaign in its nascent days, Ms. Wiles is one of the few top officials to survive an entire Trump campaign and was part of the team that put together a far more professional operation for his third White House bid — even if the former president routinely broke through those guardrails anyway.

She largely avoided the spotlight, even refusing to take the mic to speak as Mr. Trump celebrated his victory early Wednesday morning.

But she showed she was not above taking on tasks reserved for volunteers. At one of Mr. Trump’s appearances in Iowa in July of last year, as the former president posed for pictures with a long line of voters, Ms. Wiles grabbed a clipboard and started approaching people waiting to get them to fill out cards committing to caucus for Mr. Trump in the leadoff primary contest.

“If we leave the conference room after a meeting and somebody leaves trash on the table, Susie’s the person to grab the trash and put it in the trash can,” said Chris LaCivita, who served as campaign co-chair along with Ms. Wiles.

Another of her three posts on X this year was in the closing days of the campaign, clapping back after billionaire Mark Cuban remarked that Mr. Trump didn’t have “strong, intelligent women” in his orbit. After Ms. Wiles’ selection as White House chief of staff, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, a Trump backer, quipped on X that the president-elect had chosen a “strong, intelligent woman” as his chief of staff.

Ms. Wiles was able to help control Mr. Trump’s worst impulses — not by chiding him or lecturing, but by earning his respect and showing him that he was better off when he followed her advice than flouted it. At one point late in the campaign, when Mr. Trump gave a widely criticised speech in Pennsylvania in which he strayed from his talking points and suggested he wouldn’t mind the media being shot, Ms,. Wiles came out to stare at him silently.

Mr. Trump often referenced Ms. Wiles on the campaign trail, publicly praising her leadership of what he said he was often told was his “best-run campaign.”

“She’s incredible. Incredible,” he said at a Milwaukee rally earlier this month.

In his first administration, Mr. Trump went through four chiefs of staff — including one who served in an acting capacity for a year — in a period of record-setting personnel churn.

A chief of staff serves as the president’s confidant, helping to execute an agenda and balancing competing political and policy priorities. They also tend to serve as a gatekeeper, helping determine whom the president spends their time and to whom they speak — an effort under which Mr. Trump chafed inside the White House.

Mr. Trump has repeatedly said he believes the biggest mistake of his first term was hiring the wrong people. He was new to Washington then, he has said, and didn’t know any better.

Israeli football supporters and Dutch youth clash near Amsterdam Central station, in Amsterdam, Netherlands on November 7, 2024.
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent two rescue planes to the Netherlands on Friday (November 8, 2024) after Israeli football fans were reportedly injured in violence in Amsterdam.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu views the horrifying incident with utmost gravity and demands that the Dutch government and security forces take vigorous and swift action against the rioters, and ensure the safety of our citizens,” his office said in a statement.

The Prime Minister’s office did not say what led to the “very violent incident against Israeli citizens”, but Dutch media AT5 reported that fights broke out Thursday (November 7) night between fans at a Europa League match involving Maccabi Tel-Aviv and Ajax.

The report said numerous fights, as well as acts of vandalism, had occurred in the city centre.

“A large number of mobile unit vehicles are present and reinforcements have also been called in,” it said.

The Israeli embassy in the United States said “hundreds” of Maccabi fans were “ambushed and attacked in Amsterdam tonight as they left the stadium following a game”.

In its post on social media platform X, the embassy blamed the incident on a “mob who targeted innocent Israelis”.

A Dutch police spokesperson told ANP news agency that 57 people had been arrested.

Israel’s new Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said in a statement that he had requested the Dutch government’s assistance in ensuring Israeli citizens’ safe exit from their hotels to the airport.

Images on AT5 showed Dutch police escorting fans back to their hotels.

On Thursday, Amsterdam police said on social media that they were being particularly vigilant in the wake of several incidents, including the tearing down of a Palestinian flag from a building.

A pro-Palestinian rally demonstrating against the Israeli football club’s visit was initially scheduled to take place near the stadium but was relocated by the Amsterdam city council for security reasons.

Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. File
| Photo Credit: ANI

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has written to outgoing U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris congratulating her on her spirited presidential campaign and said her unifying message of hope will continue to inspire many.

Democrat Kamala Harris lost to Republican Donald Trump in the hotly contested U.S. presidential polls.

“I would like to congratulate you on your spirited presidential campaign. Your unifying message of hope will continue to inspire many,” Mr. Gandhi said in his letter to Ms. Harris.

“Under the Joe Biden administration, India and the United States have deepened cooperation on issues of global importance,” the former Congress chief said.

“Our shared commitment to democratic values will continue to guide our friendship. As the Vice President, your determination to bring people together and find common ground will be remembered,” Mr. Gandhi said in his letter dated November 7, 2024.

“I wish you the very best on your future endeavours,” he added.

Workers check the runway, near where a grass fire occurred, as a Qantas plane prepares to take off behind at Sydney International Airport on November 8, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP

An engine failure on a passenger plane taking off from Sydney, Australia on Friday (November 8, 2024) prompted the aircraft to circle before a safe emergency landing, the airline Qantas said.

Also read: Helicopter crashes into hotel roof in Australian resort town, killing pilot

At the same time, a grass fire broke out along one side of a runway, Sydney Airport said in a statement. It was not known if the two events were linked. The fire has been brought under control, but flight delays are expected.

Qantas did not say how many passengers were on board the twin jet Boeing 737-800 bound for Brisbane when the engine failed with a loud bang. No injuries were reported.

“We understand this would have been a distressing experience for customers and we will be contacting all customers this afternoon to provide support,” Qantas Chief Pilot Captain Richard Tobiano said in a statement. “We will also be conducting an investigation into what caused the engine issue.”

Sydney Airport said its main runway was still in service. The grass fire broke out along the side of a parallel runway which was being inspected before it could be used again, the airport said in a statement.

It said delays were expected and advised travelers to check their flight’s status with the airline.

Aircraft flies for 20 minutes above the airport

Mark Willacy, an Australian Broadcasting Corp. reporter, told the news outlet that an off-duty pilot who was a passenger on the plane had helped the Qantas pilot during the emergency landing.

A flight tracking website shows the aircraft was airborne for about 20 minutes, flying in circles above the airport.

Police officers from the Mobile Unit (ME) secure during a pro-Palestinian demonstration on the sideline of the UEFA Europa League football match between Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv, in Amsterdam on November 7, 2024
| Photo Credit: AFP

Israeli and Dutch leaders on Friday (November 8, 2024) condemned “anti-Semitic” clashes that erupted after a Europa League football match in Amsterdam overnight, with Israel sending rescue planes for their citizens.

The violence flared after the game between Maccabi Tel-Aviv and home team Ajax, which won 5-0.

A Dutch police spokesperson told ANP news agency that 57 people had been arrested without further details.

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof denounced the “completely unacceptable anti-Semitic attacks on Israelis”.

“I followed with horror the coverage from Amsterdam,” Mr. Schoof wrote on X, adding that he had spoken with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu to assure him that “the perpetrators will be tracked down and prosecuted”.

The pair spoke after Mr. Netanyahu ordered rescue planes to the Netherlands to transport the Israeli fans back home.

Mr. Netanyahu’s office said he told Mr. Schoof that he “views the premeditated anti-Semitic attack against Israeli citizens with utmost seriousness and requested increased security for the Jewish community in the Netherlands”, his office said.

Dutch media AT5 said the clashes occurred around midnight. Social media platforms were flooded with unverified images purported to be of the violence, but confirmed details of the clashes were few.

AT5 said that numerous fights, as well as acts of vandalism, had occurred in the city centre.

“A large number of mobile unit vehicles are present and reinforcements have also been called in,” it said. “Young people also allegedly provoked the police”.

Images on AT5 showed Dutch police escorting fans back to their hotels.

The Israeli embassy in the United States said “hundreds” of Maccabi fans were “ambushed and attacked in Amsterdam tonight as they left the stadium following a game”.

In its post on social media platform X, the embassy blamed the incident on a “mob who targeted innocent Israelis”.

Israel’s President Isaac Herzog called on the Dutch government “to protect, locate, and rescue all Israelis and Jews under attack”.

“We see the horror this morning, the shocking images and videos that since October 7th, we had hoped never to see again: an anti-Semitic pogrom currently taking place against Maccabi Tel Aviv fans and Israeli citizens in the heart of Amsterdam, Netherlands,” Herzog said in a statement.

Rescue mission

Israeli authorities urged their citizens in Amsterdam to stay in their hotels and avoid showing Israeli or Jewish symbols if they do go outside.

The army said it was coordinating a “rescue mission” with cargo aircraft and medical and rescue teams.

Israel’s new foreign minister Gideon Saar said in a statement that he had requested the Dutch government’s assistance in ensuring Israeli citizens’ safe exit from their hotels to the airport.

On Thursday, Amsterdam police said on social media that they were being particularly vigilant in the wake of several incidents, including the tearing down of a Palestinian flag from a building.

A pro-Palestinian rally demonstrating against the Israeli football club’s visit was initially scheduled to take place near the stadium but was relocated by the Amsterdam city council for security reasons.

The violence took place with anti-Israeli sentiment and reported anti-Semitic acts across the world soaring as Israel wages wars against Iran-backed militants in Lebanon and in Gaza, which have seen massive civilian casualties.

An undefined, indefinable glorious past; a present that is of turmoil and loss; a future of reclamation and renewal — all popular mobilisations, religious and secular, populist and elite, have this understanding of time in common. At its core, the Make America Great Again — MAGA — movement that Donald Trump leads in the U.S. also follows this understanding of the past, present and the future. It has precedents and parallels, but there are uniquely American and contemporary factors too that fuel MAGA.

MAGA has an immediate history which starts around the turn of the millennium with the 9/11 terrorist attack, and an economic crisis. Within the decade, yet another economic downturn battered the country, and Barack Obama was elected the first non-white President of the country in 2008. A sharp division in the American society emerged against this backdrop, about the country’s identity, purpose and claims of exceptionalism. The MAGA movement is the result of this churn. The heart of the debate is globalisation, and its discontents on two fronts — cultural and economic. MAGA is an insurrection of the dispossessed who may not care for, or understand, or are incapable of, or reject the standards of liberal democracy.

Dominant account

The dominant account of MAGA considers its foot soldiers as a group of racist, misogynist bigots led by a megalomaniac. This view is supported by the unhinged statements by Mr. Trump and his associates about migrants and women. It can be safely assumed many racists, misogynists, homophobes, and nativists of America are in MAGA, but it is not limited to them. The 2024 victory of Mr. Trump is a clear demonstration of the wide base of support that MAGA has. Around 45% of Latinos are estimated to have voted for Mr. Trump this year; and so did around 20% of Blacks and considerable sections of Hindus and Muslims.

Fertile ground

Global trade had devastated American manufacturing and impoverished its working class. By 2010, the current generation could not take for granted a life better than the previous one, as has been the case in the U.S. all through history.

The country was meanwhile caught in wars abroad. Mr. Trump, earlier a New York businessman and a Democrat, was an opponent of trade and wars for decades. By 2015, he had made up his mind to make the Republican Party the platform of his politics and personal ambitions. The ground for MAGA was already fertile. What was lacking was “someone with the political talent, charisma, fame, or resources to popularize its ideology (as Ronald Reagan did for his sunny small-government conservatism) — until Trump,” writes Isaac Arnsdorf in Finish What We Started — The MAGA Movement’s Ground War to End Democracy. It was Reagan who first used the slogan, ‘Let’s Make America Great Again,’ and Mr. Trump has counted him as the last great President of the country before himself.

Strange and paradoxical as it may well be, a major section of American working class found a champion in Mr. Trump. The economic distress of the majority is not captured in expert accounts but Mr. Trump could sense the opportunity to market his politics.

Apart from identifying the potency of anti-globalism as a political agenda, Mr. Trump who has no record of being a practising Christian, also sensed the cultural dispossession that the white Christians of America were confronting. The religious composition of the population is changing due to changing patterns of migration, and an evident trend of secularisation.

In the early 1990s, 90% of U.S. adults identified as Christians, but now the figure is around two-third of that. The proportion of those who identified as followers of no religion grew sharply in the same period, which is currently at 29%. They form the ruling elite of the country.

The share of Muslims and Hindus among new immigrants began to rise too. Christianity is part of MAGA’s motivation and Mr. Trump constantly invokes it. In 2016, he promised “Christianity will have power,” and in 2024 he asked Christians to unite behind him.

But he specifically sought to enlist Hindus and Muslims too into MAGA. Critics of MAGA could never imagine that it might appeal to minorities. “The MAGA movement now controlled one of the two major parties, but it remained unpopular with a majority of Americans… Democrats discovered that Trump’s MAGA brand was widely disliked,” writes Mr. Arnsdorf in the book that was published after the 2022 mid-term election setback for the party. Democrats would discover something else by 2024 — minorities in MAGA.

Minorities are the most ardent aspirants to the promised greatness of America, and they probably connect with the slogan as well as the current reality of challenges very well. Minorities are also evidently concerned about protecting their religious rights, perhaps even more than Christians. Mr. Trump promised them that, and showed the irreligious third of the population as their enemy.

While the Christian, nativist right is a major driving force of the MAGA movement, it has found common cause with other religious groups against the non-religiosity of the elite. For instance, the large sections of Hindu and Muslim conservatives are vocal supporters of MAGA’s resistance to transgenderism.

Electoral performance

This explains the latest surge in MAGA’s enhanced popularity, and Mr. Trump’s electoral performance. He could flip Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, which gave Joe Biden his victory in 2020. In Pennsylvania, Mr. Trump increased his support among Lations to 42%, from 27% in 2020. In Dearborn, in Michigan, where 55% of the population is Muslim, Mr. Trump won more than 42% votes and led Ms. Harris by around six points. In 2020, three-fourths of the city had voted for Mr. Biden. African Americans’ support for Mr. Trump is constantly on the rise —from 8% in 2016, to 13% in 2020 and 20% in 2024. Exit polls suggest that a third of pro-choice women voted for Mr. Trump. This is the “the biggest, the broadest, the most unified coalition in American history,” Mr. Trump said after the results.

In the late 19th century, the U.S. had witnessed a populist upsurge that sought to rein in its robber barons and protect the interest of the commoners. Both parties had to respond to the questions raised by this populism. The ruling establishments of Republican and Democratic parties have so far tried to dismiss MAGA as an inconsequential disturbance that would eventually fade. The 2024 elections showed it is persistent.

Image for representation.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

A crucial defence unit was affected by a ransomware attack in 2023, according to the 2023-24 annual report of the Department of Personnel Training (DoPT), published last week. In such an attack, access to a computer is blocked through malware until a ransom is paid.

The report mentions that in 2023, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigated complex cyber crimes with national security implications which included “a ransomware attack on a crucial defense unit, a data breach impacting millions of Indian users, a malware attack in a Ministry, and a massive DDOS attack on critical infrastructure and airports in India.” DDOS stands for distributed denial-of-service, a malicious attempt to disrupt internet traffic.

The report does not specify the location of the critical defence unit that was hit by ransomware. India had hosted the G-20 conference the same year.

Cyber crime surge

In October 2023, American cyber security and intelligence agency Resecurity had issued an alert that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had suffered a data leak of the Aadhaar and passport information of 81 crore Indians, along with their names, phone numbers, and addresses.

According to the 2023 annual report of the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), as many as 15,92,917 security incidents were reported last year, a massive jump from 53,117 such incidents reported in 2017. These incidents included: website intrusion and malware propagation, malicious code, phishing, DDOS attacks, website defacements, unauthorised network scanning/probing activities, ransomware attacks, data breaches and vulnerable services. CERT-In noted that remedial measures for handling such incidents were suggested and implemented in coordination with relevant stakeholders.

Attacks across borders

The DoPT report said that the CBI had collaborated with international counterparts such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCPM), and Singapore police, to target and dismantle call centre fraud networks in India. “Notably, intelligence from the FBI led to the unveiling of a scam involving $2 million in cryptocurrencies linked to a fake tech support call centre defrauding U.S. citizens,” the report said.

Despite the fraught diplomatic relations with Canada over the past year, the CBI in collaboration with the RCMP identified a Delhi-based call centre that scammed Canadian citizens, resulting in the recovery of a significant amount of cash and evidence. “Additionally, CBI traced bitcoins from an Australian citizen to a wallet in Delhi, exposing the international scope of crypto frauds in a case of Australian tax fraud. In India, a large-scale crypto mining scam was uncovered, deceitfully extracting ₹100 crore from Indian citizens,” the report said.

Highlighting the “broad spectrum of cyber threats facing the nation,” the report said that the CBI investigated investment and loan app frauds perpetrated on Indian citizens from neighboring countries. “Acting at the instance of RBI [Reserve Bank of India], CBI registered a case of IMPS (Immediate payment service) fraud at UCO Bank involving reversed transactions across multiple banks, amounting to a staggering ₹820 crore,” the report said.

Changing roles

The CBI has been the Union government’s designated nodal agency to investigate computer crimes since 1999. On September 29, however, the Cabinet Secretariat amended the government’s Allocation of Business Rules to designate the National Security Council Secretariat, which reports to National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, as the agency “to provide overall coordination and strategic direction for Cyber Security”.

The order also designated the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology as the nodal body for the “security of telecom networks”, and the Ministry of Home Affairs for matters relating to cyber crimes.

Minister for IT and Industries D. Sridhar Babu, TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud, Suryapet MLA G. Jagadeeshwar Reddy and others participated in the 10th anniversary of the Malaysia Telangana Association in Kuala Lumpur. Mr. Sridhar Babu said they have come for the celebrations beyond party affiliations though they work with parties with different ideologies. This is how the Telangana government wants to stand with Telangana people wherever in the world they were.

“Wherever our people are across the world, we wish to stand with them, sharing in both their hardships and happiness. I envision a future where the people of Telangana lead in all fields, in all countries around the world,” he said, assuring that the Telangana government will always stand by its people.

The Highways Department is preparing the estimate for the construction of a bridge across the Palar River at Sevilimedu on the Kancheepuram-Vandavasi SH 116 which provides connectivity to areas including Walajahbad, Oragadam, Padappai and Vandalur.

The 900-metre-long bridge is to come up adjacent to an existing one which is two lanes wide. “The proposed one too will be two lanes wide so that one bridge can be used for outbound traffic and the other, in the opposite direction,” explained an official.

The bridge is likely to cost around ₹100 crore and take 18 months to construct. Since the road is being widened to four lanes, it is pertinent that more lanes be added. There has been a long-pending demand from local residents for widening the existing bridge or constructing a new one, the source said.

Chitra Sankar, a resident of Sevilimedu, who takes the existing bridge to work, said that traffic snarls were common. “Hundreds of heavy vehicles carrying blue metal from nearby quarries use the bridge daily, causing the motorists to slow down. Sometimes wewait for over 20 minutes just to cross that bridge. Dust from the trucks also causes a lot of pollution in our area,” she said.

An existing causeway across the Palar River, which is being used by residents to reach the facility where last rites are performed, will also be restored. The road surface will be renewed.

Kancheepuram MLA C.V.M.P. Ezhilarasan said that the issue relating to the bridge had been raised in the State Assembly and the Highways Minister had also given word that it would be constructed. This bridge was constructed 25 years ago and due to several companies coming up in the surrounding areas, traffic had considerably increased over the years, he said.

The Tamil Nadu government has made good progress in land acquisition for expanding infrastructure at airports, a major factor that had stalled the expansion plans of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for long at such places as Coimbatore and Tiruchi. After several years, the land acquired for the Coimbatore airport expansion was handed over to the AAI. Enter-upon permission has been granted for a major chunk of the land that the AAI had sought in Tiruchi. The Madurai airport became operational 24×7 recently. Farther down south, a new terminal is coming up at the Thoothukudi airport. All of this augurs well for boosting air travel.

In recent years, the AAI too has been keen on developing the airports in the State realising the potential for growth. More facilities will help in attracting more airlines and increasing the passenger traffic, says S.G. Panicker, Regional Executive Director, Southern Region, AAI. “Apart from concentrating on Chennai, the AAI is prioritising cities, including Tiruchi, Madurai, and Coimbatore, to give a boost to aviation in the State so that there is enhanced connectivity to more destinations. Even in Salem, we have eight movements a day and we want to add more facilities…,” he says.

Coimbatore airport

Work on the long-pending expansion of the Coimbatore International Airport is expected to commence soon, after the AAI issued a letter of approval on October 18, accepting the transfer of the land acquired by the State government. Sources at the Coimbatore airport administration says the details of the land transfer have been forwarded to the AAI headquarters.

In August this year, the Coimbatore Collector gave the AAI enter-upon permission for 472.325 acres of the acquired land, out of which 451.745 acres is patta land and 20.58 acres is poramboke land. Working permission for 148.396 acres of defence land has also been accorded, according to a communication issued in December 2023. The total area identified for the expansion is 632.95 acres, spread across Irugur, Neelambur, Kalapatty, Singanallur, and Uppilipalayam villages.

The key factor for the expansion of the airport, which is spread over 420 acres, is the need for a bigger runway in order to accommodate wide-body aircraft. The existing runway, 05 and 23, is 2,990 metres long and 45 metres wide. Besides an expanded length, the runway needs larger turn pads for handling bigger aircraft. A new terminal building, a new approach road, and other amenities are part of the project.

Coimbatore stands next to Chennai, with 28 daily domestic flights, connecting Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Pune, and Goa. Four airlines operate international flights to Sharjah, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi. The total passenger movement stands at 9,400-10,000 a day. “With land acquisition completed, the AAI should expedite all other formalities and execute the master plan at the earliest for the construction of a state-of-the-art airport, with the involvement of local stakeholders at every stage. The Ministry of Civil Aviation should include the Coimbatore airport as a point of call in the ASEAN Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) to increase international operations,” says Vanitha Mohan, vice-chairperson of Kongu Global Forum (KGF), an association of industrial, business and trade leaders from the western districts.

Tiruchi airport

Making the city a point of call under the BASA is a major demand in Tiruchi, too, where the district authorities have made good progress in land acquisition for the expansion of the airport runway. After the first phase of the runway extension from 6,000 to about 8,000 feet, the AAI had drawn up plans in 2010-11 to expand the runway further to 12,000 feet to facilitate the operation of bigger and wide-body aircraft. The AAI then requested the government for about 500 acres of land, including about 167 acres of defence land.

Acquisition of patta land for the project is nearing completion. “As 95% of patta land acquisition has been completed, enter-upon permission has been issued to the AAI for 102 hectares (about 252 acres) of patta land and 2.43 hectares of poromboke land. The acquisition of the remaining patta land and alienation of about 6.78 hectares of poromboke land will be completed in a month. The Defence Ministry also gave working permission for 67.60 hectares in July 2022. Hence, the AAI can start the work,” Tiruchi Collector M. Pradeep Kumar told The Hindu.

Airport Director G. Gopalakrishnan says a lot of follow-up work, including the construction of a boundary wall, will have to be taken up once the land is fully handed over. “The progress made in land acquisition is welcome. However, it could still take a couple of years for the expansion projects to materialise. It is important that both the AAI and the State government expedite the processes for the projects to take off,” says T.H. Radhakrishnan, a former deputy general manager of Air India, who served as the station manager in Tiruchi between 2003 and 2012.

A swanky new terminal with a capacity to handle about 4.5 million passengers a year became operational at the Tiruchi International Airport in June. A new Air Traffic Control Tower, being built at a cost of about ₹60 crore, is expected to become fully operational in 2025. The investment in this airport has been justified. The airport, which has more international flights than domestic flights, handled almost seven lakh international passengers between April and September this year, a 10% growth over the corresponding period last year. During the same period, it handled about 2.81 lakh domestic passengers, a 41.7% growth over the corresponding period last year, according to the data available on the AAI website. Tiruchi is one of the busiest international airports in India, connecting 10 foreign destinations.

Madurai airport

Though the Madurai airport got a new terminal building in 2010 and international flights are being operated to Singapore, Dubai, and Colombo, the airport is yet to get international status. It handled 14 lakh passengers during 2023-24. The 24×7 operation became a reality on October 1, 2024. AAI Chairman M. Suresh says the number of flights taking off from the Madurai airport would increase manifold in the next six months. Virudhunagar MP B. Manickam Tagore says it may take more time for the airport to get international status, but it will have more domestic flights. “We expect flights to connect Madurai with Varanasi and Pune very soon,” he adds. Madurai already has air connectivity to Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi.

To handle the increasing number of passengers, the airport has reconfigured the terminal building. “These measures will help in swift clearance of passengers and reducing their waiting time in queue,” says Airport Director P. Muthu Kumar. The terminal building and the runway are good enough to cope with the present situation, officials say. However, soon the airport’s passenger-handling capacity will get saturated as more services come to Madurai. “Hence, we will soon start the work on further expansion of the airport,” Mr. Suresh adds.

According to Mr. Muthu Kumar, the Madurai airport, located on 502.25 acres, is acquiring 633.17 additional acres. “543.64 acres have already been handed over for further expansion.”

Madurai Collector M.S. Sangeetha has given administrative sanction for land acquisition to lay a road alternative to the one that is holding up the construction of a compound wall around the acquired land. The airport has built a compound wall to a length of 12.36 km in the newly acquired land.

New terminal at Thoothukudi

Development work taken up at an estimate of ₹312 crore at the Thoothukudi airport has reached the final stage. The construction of a new terminal is scheduled for completion in December this year. “The work on the Air Traffic Control Tower will go on till March,” says Mr. Suresh.

The departure terminal would have four entrances, with 21 passenger check-in counters. The airport would have three aero-bridges and two conveyor belts at the arrival hall. Efforts are on to commission the new terminal at the earliest.

The new terminal is spread over 17,536 square metres, similar to that of the Madurai airport. “At Thoothukudi, the terminal has been designed to handle only domestic passengers. With good potential for international flights from Thoothukudi, we have asked for modifications to the terminal building work to handle international passengers in future,” Mr. Suresh says.

It would cater to the large number of people from southern districts headed to Singapore and Arabian countries, he adds. The airport will also get a wider approach road.

(With inputs from S. Sundar in Madurai and Wilson Thomas in Coimbatore.)