Sabarimala Airport Project: Kerala BJP Submits Kodumon Estate Proposal to Civil Aviation Minister
PATHANAMTHITTA: The long-standing demand for an airport dedicated to Sabarimala pilgrims has been brought before the Central government, with the Kerala BJP proposing a feasibility study of around 3,000 acres at Kodumon Estate in Pathanamthitta district.
Keralam BJP president and MLA Rajeev Chandrasekhar met Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu and submitted a proposal prepared by senior party leaders Kummanam Rajasekharan and Anoop Antony.
The proposal calls for discussions with the Kerala government and an examination of the Kodumon Estate land as a possible site for the proposed Sabarimala airport. It also seeks a feasibility study under the Greenfield Airports Policy.
According to Chandrasekhar, pilgrims arriving from different parts of India and abroad currently have to use airports at Kochi or Thiruvananthapuram and continue their journey by road for several hours. He said an airport closer to Sabarimala would make the pilgrimage more convenient and could also benefit expatriate families in Pathanamthitta and the wider pilgrimage region.
The proposal comes amid the continuing efforts to develop a Greenfield airport for Sabarimala. The Union government had earlier stated that Kerala had proposed a Greenfield airport near Erumeli in Kottayam district, for which site clearance was granted in April 2023 under the Greenfield Airports Policy. The project has faced issues including land-related matters.
The Kodumon proposal identifies the plantation land as an alternative site for examination. Kerala media reports said the Kodumon plantation extends across parts of Kodumon, Angadical, Kalanjoor and Enadimangalam and has been proposed as a potential location for the airport.
Chandrasekhar also referred to improved air connectivity to pilgrimage destinations such as Shirdi and Tirupati, arguing that better connectivity can support the development of major pilgrimage centres.
He said the objective is to provide Sabarimala pilgrims with modern, world-class travel facilities while also improving connectivity for the wider region.