The makeover of the Thiruvananthapuram international airport is finally moving from files to the runway. The first phase of Project Anantha, pegged at ₹600 crore, is expected to start in the coming weeks, setting in motion the city’s biggest airport upgrade in years.
The focus now is on the airside—the part of the airport that matters most for flying. That means runways, taxiways, aprons, hangars, air traffic control facilities and even the fire and rescue systems are getting attention. Adani Airport Holdings has handed over the work to ITD Cementation India, which has in turn roped in Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society (ULCCS) to get the job done.
Beyond the tarmac, smaller but visible changes are also lined up. The apron near Terminal 2 is being reconstructed, the old drainage system that often struggles during monsoon is getting a redesign, and Terminal 1 will see more check-in counters. A knowledge centre is also part of this phase, though how it will take shape remains to be seen.
The operator is talking of a much larger plan—an overall ₹1,300-crore expansion to boost passenger capacity from the current 3.2 million to nearly 12 million a year. External commercial borrowings worth $750 million are said to be backing this ambition. On paper, that looks like a massive leap, but on the ground, the story is slightly stuck.
The landside development—everything that passengers see and use before security—remains tangled in clearances. Plans for underground parking and a five-star hotel are waiting for the nod of the environment ministry. Kerala’s State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority expired earlier, and the reconstitution of the panel has pushed things further up to Delhi.
For now, all eyes are on a public hearing being organised by the state pollution control board on August 27. This will be a key step for the landside work to move forward. Whether the meeting clears the air or adds more layers of delay will decide how quickly travellers see visible changes outside the terminal.
If everything goes as planned, the Thiruvananthapuram airport could soon be handling more flights and more people with better infrastructure.
