Thiruvananthapuram International Airport clocked record passenger footfalls in the opening two months of the current financial year. The airport again recorded all-time high passenger movement in the month of May by handling a total of 4.44 lakh passengers, including 2.15 lakh international and 2.28 lakh domestic passengers. In April as well, passenger handling has crossed the 4 lakh mark, living up to the ambitions of the airport to touch the figure of 50 lakh passengers in the current fiscal year.
The just concluded fiscal also saw the airport handle 44 lakh passengers, the highest ever passenger volume handled by the airport in a financial year, posting a 27% growth compared to 34.6 lakh passengers in the previous fiscal 2022-23. Of the 44 lakh passengers, 24.2 lakh were domestic and 19.8 lakh were international travellers.
As new services and frequency enhancements in various sectors are on the horizon, the airport is likely to handle the projected 50 lakh passengers this fiscal, said airport sources. Meanwhile, the airport has received permission to carry out development works to the tune of ₹1,200 crore for the next five years. The major components of the development project included runway recarpeting, international terminal expansion, the master plan for which is being prepared, and the construction of the new Air Traffic Control (ATC).
The existing ATC will be shifted to the international terminal for the time being to facilitate the construction of a state-of-the-art ATC at the airport. Further, the amenities in the domestic terminal (T1) would be improved by giving a makeover to the canopy, increasing the parking space, and revamping the civil facilities at the entry gate, said the airport sources. The airport also witnesses around 90 to 100 aircraft movements per day, in tune with the increase in connectivity at the airport, which now connects 12 international destinations and 11 domestic cities within the country.
Published - June 25, 2024 09:54 pm IST
