When divine path crosses airport runway: Kerala airport to halt flights for 5 hours on November 9

Flight services from the international airport here will be suspended for five hours on November 9 to make way for 'Alpassi Arattu' procession of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple here, TIAL said on Saturday.

The annual procession traditionally taken on a route crossing the runway. The Thiruvananthapuram International Airport Ltd (TIAL) said the flight services would be suspended from 4 pm to 9 pm on November 9. It said the updated timings of the flights are available with the respective airlines.

"The runway at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport remains closed twice a year for the Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple procession to pass through. The practice of the procession traversing the current 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 remain intact," TIAL said in a release.

The airport has been pausing operations and rescheduling flights twice every year for decades to enable the bi-annual, centuries-old ceremonial procession of the shrine to pass through the runway.

When the airport was constructed here, the then Travancore King Sree Chithira Thirunal had made it clear that facility would be open for public for 363 days in a year and two days for Lord Padmanabha, the titular deity of the royal family, historians say.

The royal era ritual has been continuing even after the Adani Group took over the management of the airport.

The airport issues a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) twice every year before the runway is closed during the bi-annual Alpassi festival which falls in October-November and the Painkuni festival in March-April.