THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Long queues, insufficient facilities, high user development fee and inadequate number of check-in counters compared to bigger airports... Nearly three years after a new management took over the running of the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, passengers are still dissatisfied with the facilities.
Mornings at the airport are particularly hectic, with over 1,500 passengers crowded into the security hold area, often jostling for seats. The small number of check-in counters, compared to larger airports like Kochi (CIAL), Chennai, and Bengaluru, exacerbates the congestion and leaves travellers frustrated. Data shows that the airport has surpassed its passenger handling capacity.
The 93-year-old Thiruvananthapuram airport is at a crucial point, trying to overcome long-standing legacy issues. Expectations were high when the Adani Group took over in October 2021, but despite improvements in connectivity, infrastructure development has not met passenger hopes. “The crowding starts as soon as you enter the airport at night. We anticipated that privatisation would significantly enhance the international passenger experience, but it has become more chaotic with the rise in flights. The fares need adjustment to make the airport more attractive,” said Atul Balakrishnan, a software engineer based in Dubai.
Passengers are also dismayed by a 50% increase in the User Development Fee (UDF), imposed by the Airport Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) in July. The UDF is now nearly three times higher than Kochi Airport. Recent employee strikes demanding bonuses have further resulted in inconvenience travellers and caused losses for exporters.
The airport staff too report deteriorating conditions under the new management. “The management isn’t very staff-friendly. There are only three washrooms for around 500 staff working in the ramp area and there’s no rest space between flights. The staff canteen, which was affected by Covid, hasn’t been properly restored,” said an employee. Additionally, the management has revoked free parking for employees.
According to the DGCA, TRV, a code E airport should operate on 1,200 acres of land, but it currently functions on just 585 acres, about one-third the size of CIAL.
S N Raghuchandran Nair, president of The Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI), which played a role in the airport’s privatisation, attributed many issues to legacy problems.
“Connectivity has improved significantly. When AAI handed over operations to Adani, there were only about 30 flights. Now, there are over 100, and daily passengers have tripled to 15,000. Despite the UDF increase, ticket rates remain competitive,” he said. Nair is hopeful that upcoming expansion plans will address many of these issues. “TCCI will meet with Jeet Adani, director of Adani Airports, in October and hold additional airline summits to push for better connectivity,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Airport spokesperson noted that the operator has limited control over user fees and investment decisions during regulatory reviews.
“We are managing more passengers at the domestic terminal than its capacity allows. We’ve increased check-in counters, renovated washrooms, and added lifts. A new entry point will be opened soon to ease congestion, and some flights will move to the integrated terminal in the winter schedule,” the official said. “The initial plan was to demolish and rebuild the terminal, but AERA approved Rs 1,200 crore instead of the Rs 4,000 crore master plan for the next three years,” the source added. Development of the international terminal is underway and expected to be completed by March next year.