Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram airport to ‘close’ operations on THIS day for five hours; check details
The international airport in Kerala is scheduled to witness disruption in flight operations on November 9 on the occasion of the ‘Alpassi Arattu’ procession from Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple.
On the coming Saturday, the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport Ltd (TIAL) will suspend flights for five hours.
Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), TIAL said, “The runway at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport remains closed twice a year for the Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple procession to pass through.”
The passenger advisory issued on November 2 states that flight operations will be suspended on November 9 from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm. It urged passengers to check the updated flight timings with their respective flights.
The post adds, “The practice of the procession taking the airport path to reach the Shangumugham Beach for the holy bath of the idols began centuries ago. This ritual continues even after the Airport was established in 1932, ensuring that the culture and traditions of the region remains intact.”
The ‘Alpassi Arattu’ procession takes place annually and crosses the airport runway on its route. The procession route heads to Shangumugham Beach, which is considered to be the holy place where the idols are ceremonially bathed. The century old tradition continues till date even after the establishment of Thiruvananthapuram airport in 1932.
The airport authorities halt operations twice every year, so that the centuries-old ceremonial procession could take the route it used to follow centuries ago. When the airport was built, Travancore King Sree Chithira Thirunal ordered that the airport will be available for public use for 363 days in a year. Thus, reserving the airport for two days, exclusively for the worship of royal family’s deity Lord Padmanabha, according to historical records.
Even after the takeover by the Adani Group, the airport commemorates this day and hence closes its operations for the stipulated time. TIAL reportedly issues a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) twice a year ahead of the slated closure of the runway for the bi-annual Alpassi festival in October-November and the Painkuni festival in March-April.
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Business NewsNewsKerala’s Thiruvananthapuram airport to ‘close’ operations on THIS day for five hours; check details
