The Kerala State Pollution Control Board (PCB) will hold a public hearing on August 26 in Thiruvananthapuram in connection with the process to obtain environmental clearance for the development of the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport project. The people can raise their opinions and concerns regarding the project during the public hearing, which is a platform for the local community to voice their views and objections, if any, regarding the potential environmental impact of the project.
The project, worth ₹8,707 crore, aims to give a makeover to the international airport by undertaking a major expansion to the existing international and domestic terminals and airside facilities of the airport. The work on the project could begin once the necessary permissions, including environmental clearance, are received after the public hearing.
According to airport sources, the existing international terminal, currently handling around 4 million passengers per annum (MPPA), will be developed to handle almost 12 MPPA, with a multi-level curb-integrated terminal. The new terminal will also have a slew of facilities, including a forecourt with an airport plaza, a hotel, and a commercial and administration block—all under a single roof. There will be more space for car parking, for the ease of both visitors and passengers.
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 developed to handle almost 3 MPPA. The work on the two terminals would be conducted in phases. The domestic terminal would be shifted to the newly built international terminal as part of a makeshift arrangement to facilitate the work on the domestic terminal. The airside of the airport will also see a major expansion as part of the project.
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. The expansion of the project is expected to bring more facilities to the passengers along with enhancing the capacity of the airport to handle more passengers and aircraft, said airport officials.
Published – July 26, 2025 08:58 pm IST
