The Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is upgrading its facilities to meet future challenges and cater to seven airlines waiting in the wings to begin flight operations to the capital city.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is building a parallel taxiway, isolation bay, aerobridge and an apron at the terminal and two ‘turning pads’..
The work, estimated to cost Rs.120 crore, is on in full swing. Airport Director V.N. Chandran told The Hindu that the work would continue during the monsoon and be completed in 24 months.
The Rs.52-crore parallel taxiway will facilitate faster clearance of aircraft from the runway. Runway occupancy of aircraft is now eight minutes. The 1,595 metre-long parallel taxiway is being constructed in addition to the existing 543-metre parallel taxiway from the runway to the new terminal on the city side.
Two ‘turning pads’ are being constructed on both sides of the runway so that medium aircraft do not have to go to the end of the runway to reach the parking bays. The turning pads will come up on the sides of Runway 14 and 32, at a cost of Rs.11 crore. The Airport Director said the turning pads would come of help to commanders of wide-bodied aircraft.
The additional apron on Bay 23 on the international terminal side is being built at estimated cost of Rs.11 crore. With this, the number of bays will go up to 8.
The isolation bay will come up on the old runway on the southern side of the “sensitive” airport.
The 18,463 sq mt isolation bay will be for parking aircraft if they need to be isolated during emergencies as per BCAS norms.
The terminal will get a fourth aerobridge at a cost of Rs.20.98 crore. This will help to regulate the rush during the early hours of the day when there is “bunching” of flights from the Middle East.
The terminal building is being extended by 77 metres so that the aerobridge can be fixed in that portion.
In addition, the security-hold area of the domestic terminal will be extended. An additional 770 sq m area will be created as security hold area on the first floor at a cost of Rs.7 crore.
Mr. Chandran said extending the security-hold area will enable handling of the passengers of two to three aircraft at a time.
It will come in handy during flight delays and will be completed in 14 months.

Government Chief Whip P.C. George has called upon the people of Aranmula as well as the Joint Action Council chaired by social activist Sugathakumari to apprise Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi of the ground realities in connection with the controversial Aranmula airport project.
Mr. George was inaugurating the 100th day of the indefinite satyagraha against the airport project launched by the action council at Aranmula on Wednesday.
Powerful lobby
The forces behind the private airport project were allegedly a powerful multinational corporate lobby capable of influencing the higher echelons of power, Mr. George alleged.
He said the people’s power should check those who had shown arrogance in openly backing the ‘‘anti-people airport project.’’ The Chief Whip said the local MP had sought police protection for himself. It was worth mentioning that no case of attack had been reported against those who had been supporting the airport project, so far, despite the fact that the indefinite satyagraha had already entered 100th day, he said.
Mr. George said the MP might have sought police protection sensing some danger in the event of the KGS Group abandoning its airport plan at Aranmula.
Lauds Modi
The Chief Whip said that Mr. Modi bowing down at the portals of Parliament House, which is regarded as the `Temple of Democracy,’ amply showed his dignity.
Bowing down at the portals of Parliament House in reverence represented the typical Indian culture and way of paying obeisance to all eminent personalities who had crossed it since 1947, he said.
‘‘Mr. Modi is honourable and his critics should bear in mind that he has won the Varanasi Parliament seat that houses as many as 3.5 lakh Muslim voters by a margin of 5.5 lakh votes,’’ the Chief Whip said.
Mr. George said that with his signature and that of K. Muraleedharan, MLA, the total number of MLAs opposing the Aranmula airport project had gone up to 75.
Government flayed
Presiding over the function, Sugathakumari said the reported government move to ‘‘sabotage’’ the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2008, was highly deplorable. She called upon the people to defeat any such move.