'Great news...' PM Modi hails MoCA nod to new Sabarimala airport

The Kottayam Greenfield Airport project is proposed to be developed on 2250 acres of land. The project will be undertaken by the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hailed the site clearance of over 2250 acres of land by the Ministry of Civil Aviation for a greenfield airport project at Kottayam (Sabarimala). Sharing a tweet by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Prime Minister said: "Great news for tourism and especially spiritual tourism."

In a significant decision, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has granted site clearance for a Greenfield Airport project at Kottayam (Sabarimala) which will enhance connectivity and development in the region. The decision came after several rounds of deliberations with the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation.

The Kottayam Greenfield Airport project is proposed to be developed on 2250 acres of land. The project will be undertaken by the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

The construction of the airport is expected to be around Rs 4000 crore. 

To note, The civil aviation ministry has given this move after considering the fact that the Sabarimala airport would be located 148 kilometres away from the Madurai Airport in Tamil Nadu. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had earier announced that the state government had obtained all necessary approvals for the project.

The proposed Sabarimala airport's runway is expected to be 3500 metres long and 45 metres wide. In comparison, the current runways in Thiruvananthapuram and Cochin are 3400 metres long, Kannur Airport has a 3050 metre-long runway, with room to expand to 4000 meters. The Calicut airport's runway is 2860 metres long.

The greenfield airport is proposed to be built at Cheruvally Estate in Kottayam dictrict's Erumely. The airport will come as a major boost to the tourist industry in the state and also faciitate pilgrims wanting to offer prayers at the revered Sabarimala shrine. The temple reportedly receives around 50 million pilgrims every season.