Thiruvananthapuram airport to suspend flights for five hours on October 20
The planned pause will allow a temple procession to pass through the airport area. Passengers should check revised flight times with their airlines, while city roads face traffic restrictions.
Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in Kerala, India, will suspend flight operations from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. local time on October 20 for the Alpassi Arattu procession of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, the airport operator said on October 18. The planned five-hour pause gives the procession passage through the airport area and means passengers should check their flight times before travelling.
How passengers should check October 20 flights
Thiruvananthapuram International Airport Ltd said updated flight timings are available from the respective airlines, according to a PTI report published by CNBC-TV18. Travellers with departures or arrivals during the closure period should confirm the current schedule directly with their carrier. The airport's announcement sets out the operating pause; individual flight changes depend on the airline schedules.
Gulf News advised passengers travelling between the UAE and Thiruvananthapuram on October 20 to check their flight status, confirm any revised departure or arrival time and follow airline notifications about rebooking. That advice matters particularly to travellers planning a connection or a journey to the airport around the five-hour suspension.
Procession traffic restrictions in Thiruvananthapuram
The Hindu reported that city police will impose traffic regulations from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. for the procession. Restrictions will cover roads from Vazhappally junction to Mithranandapuram and Fort School, and from the temple's West Nada towards Enchakkal, Vallakkadavu and the Arattu gate. Parking will be prohibited on both sides of those roads.
For passengers heading to the domestic airport at Shangumughom, The Hindu reported advice to travel via Kallummoodu, Ponnara and Valiyathura. The road measures begin an hour before the flight suspension and continue an hour after it ends, so even passengers whose flights fall outside the pause may need to account for the procession when planning their trip.
Why the airport pauses for Alpassi Arattu
The procession is part of a longstanding practice at Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. PTI reported that the airport has paused operations and rescheduled flights twice a year for decades to allow the ceremonial procession to pass through its runway. The October 20 suspension follows that practice; the immediate change for travellers is the announced five-hour operating window and any revised flight time issued by their airline.
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Sources and context
- Thiruvananthapuram airport to suspended flights for five hours on October 20The Hindu Bureau
- UAE–Kerala alert: Thiruvananthapuram airport suspends flights briefly on October 20Gulf News
- Thiruvananthapuram Airport to suspend flights services for 5 hours on October 20: Check timings and reasonPTI, republished by CNBC-TV18
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.