Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian urged the Union Civil Aviation Ministry to permit the operation of Airbus aircraft, instead of ATR planes, on domestic routes such as Madurai and Tuticorin, and to enhance passenger amenities at the Chennai airport.

In a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu, Subramanian said passengers travelling to destinations like Madurai and Coimbatore are often forced to stand in shuttle buses due to inadequate seating. The buses, operated by airlines, ferry passengers to planes parked in bays located far across the 1,301-acre airport.

"Since these shuttle services have fewer seats, senior citizens and children face hardships standing for a long time as the aircraft are parked far away," he said in the letter, which was shared with the media on Saturday.

Subramanian alleged that airlines prefer to use these distant bays because the parking charges are comparatively lower than those closer to the terminal.

Pointing out that large numbers of passengers travel to Madurai, Tuticorin, Coimbatore, and Tiruchirappalli, he suggested deploying Airbus aircraft, which carry more passengers than ATR planes currently used on domestic routes.

ATR (Avions de Transport Regional), a joint venture between Airbus and Leonardo, manufactures aircraft with a seating capacity of up to 78. Regional carriers in India widely operate these planes.