Thiruvananthapuram Airport Expansion Faces Green Hurdles

The expansion of Terminal 2 (T2) at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport under Project Anantha has hit a delay, with crucial environmental clearance (EC) still pending. Led by Adani Airport Holdings Ltd, the project was initially set to begin in April, but progress has been halted in the absence of a valid EC.

The delay is primarily due to the expiration of the State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority’s (SEIAA) tenure in March. Consequently, the EC application has been escalated to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF).

Sources indicate that the airport’s master plan is currently being revised to incorporate recommendations from the MoEF. Construction will begin only after formal approval of the updated plan.

“The process is expected to take another four months. A recent stakeholder meeting, which included the CISF and Kerala State Industrial Enterprises Ltd (KSIE), helped gather key inputs to finalise the revised plan,” a source close to the matter said.

Alongside the terminal expansion, a proposed five-star hotel on the city side of the airport is also awaiting environmental clearance. SEIAA had previously asked Adani Airport Holdings to revise its conceptual plan, citing concerns about the environmental impact of the basement component. This revised proposal is now under review by the MoEF.

Meanwhile, refurbishment of Terminal 1 (the domestic terminal) is progressing well. The canopy installation is nearing completion, and a new parking facility is already operational. The upgrades are expected to wrap up within two months.

Despite the delays, long-term development plans for the airport remain intact. At the Invest Kerala Summit in February, the Adani Group reaffirmed its commitment of ₹5,500 crore over the next five years for the airport’s development. In addition, the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) has approved a ₹1,200 crore development plan, while a larger ₹3,000 crore master plan is still under AERA’s review.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.