Madurai

Lore & Background

Madurai's recorded history goes back to the 3rd century BCE, being mentioned by Megasthenes, the Greek ambassador to the Mauryan Empire, and Kautilya, a minister of the Mauryan emperor Chandragupta Maurya. The third Tamil Sangam, a major congregation of Tamil scholars under the Pandyan dynasty, is said to have been held in the city. Sangam literature like Maturaikkāñci records the importance of Madurai as a capital city of the Pandyan dynasty.

Reader's Guide

Madurai has been ruled at different times by the Pandyan Kingdom, the Chola Empire, the Madurai Sultanate, the Vijayanagar Empire, the Madurai Nayaks, the Carnatic kingdom, and the British East India Company's British Raj. The city is home to historical monuments such as the Koodal Azhagar temple, the Meenakshi Temple, and the Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal. It is an important industrial and educational hub, with automobile, rubber, chemical, and granite manufacturing industries, as well as institutions like Madurai Medical College, Kamaraj University, and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Madurai. The second bench of the Madras High Court is situated in Madurai. The city is one of the towns selected for the AMRUT mission by the Government of India.

Did You Know?

• A 2nd-century BCE Tamil-Brahmi inscription refers to the city as 'matiray', an Old Tamil word meaning 'walled city'.
• Madurai is believed to have been originally a forest of Kadamba trees, hence its name Kadambavanam.

Military Roots and Wartime Beginnings

After hostilities ended, the airstrip found a quieter purpose, serving as a route for ferrying mail and newspapers across the region. By the early 1960s, the airport even hosted flights bound for Colombo, hinting at its future international potential. In the mid-1970s, the runway was strengthened and extended so it could accommodate larger narrow-body aircraft, and Indian Airlines soon began routing Boeing 737s to the strip.

A Decade of Turbulence and Renewal

The 1990s and early 2000s proved a rollercoaster for Madurai's aviation scene. Jet Airways entered the picture in the late 1990s with Bombay and Madras routes, while the mid-2000s saw Simplifly Deccan and Paramount Airways serve Bangalore and Chennai respectively—both of which folded during the Great Recession. This patchwork of short-lived operations underscored the airport's struggle to sustain consistent traffic. The turning point arrived in the late 2000s when the Airports Authority of India selected Madurai for a modernisation programme aimed at upgrading 35 non-metro airports across the country.

From Customs Status to Full International Recognition

Madurai's journey toward international aviation status unfolded over several years of incremental milestones.

Infrastructure Today and the Road Ahead

Two lounges serve travellers: a VIP lounge managed by the Airports Authority of India and a Commercial Important Persons lounge run by the Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The adjacent cargo terminal, converted from the old passenger facility, handles freight operations.