The delay has been caused by the expiration of the State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority’s (SEIAA) tenure in March. Consequently, the application for EC has been forwarded to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) for consideration. The airport’s master plan is also being revised to incorporate suggestions from the MoEF. Construction activities are expected to begin only after the revised plan receives official approval, a process anticipated to take up to four months.

A recent stakeholder meeting involving the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Kerala State Industrial Enterprises (KSIE) helped gather essential inputs for finalising the revised master plan. Apart from the T2 expansion, a proposed five-star hotel project on the city side of the airport is also awaiting clearance. The SEIAA had earlier requested revisions to the hotel’s conceptual plan, citing environmental concerns regarding its basement design. This revised proposal is currently under MoEF’s review.

Meanwhile, the refurbishment of Terminal 1 (T1), the domestic terminal, is progressing well. The canopy installation is nearly finished, and the newly developed parking area is already functional. The T1 upgrade is expected to be completed within the next two months.

Despite the current setbacks, the long-term development of the airport remains on course. The Adani Group has committed Rs 55 billion over five years for airport development, as announced during the Invest Kerala Summit. Additionally, the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) has approved Rs 12 billion development plan, while a larger Rs 30 billion proposal is under review.

News source: News on projects