Thiruvananthapuram airport gasps for breath as terminal capacity utilisation crosses 100%
Not only has the sky above Thiruvananthapuram become significantly busier now, but also the terminals of the airport here, considering the capacity of the terminals and the number of passengers handled.
Though the airport witnessed a surge in passenger volume in the previous two financial years, an upgrade in infrastructure in tune with the increase in passengers and flight services, which is necessary for positioning Thiruvananthapuram as a rapidly evolving aviation hub, is yet to be materialised.
The Thiruvananthapuram International Airport has utilised around 97.90% of its terminal capacity in 2023-24 and over 100% in the just-concluded fiscal. In comparison, the capacity utilisation of Kannur, Kochi, and Kozhikode airports in the State was 13.09%, 41.46% and 50.31%, respectively, in 2023-24.
The terminal capacity of the Thiruvananthapuram airport is 45 lakh passengers per annum, while the total passengers handled by the airport in the past fiscal were 48.90 lakh, a 10% increase compared to the 44.11 lakh travellers in the preceding financial year. On the other hand, the terminal capacity utilisation in the busy Kochi airport is close to 50%.
Sources told The Hindu that the airport was now looking to expand its terminal area by taking up construction vertically. The international terminal would be expanded to handle 11.2 million passengers from the current 3.2 million as part of Project Anantha. The work would begin once the necessary permissions, including environmental clearance, were received.
Similarly, the overcrowded domestic terminal, where the capacity utilisation was about 200% last year with the terminal handling around 26 lakh passengers against the capacity of 13 lakh, will be shifted to the newly built international terminal as part of a makeshift arrangement to facilitate the work on the domestic terminal. However, both the projects are expected to take time for completion. Work on the expansion of the security-hold area and canopy extension at the international terminal is at various stages.
Land acquisition
Recently, the State government has directed officials to fast-track the land acquisition for expanding the Runway End Safety Area (RESA) at the airport, a statutory requirement mandated by the Civil Aviation Ministry and the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The RESA expansion had been delayed mainly due to administrative hurdles and disputes over lands.
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