Thiruvananthapuram Airport to suspend flights for 'Painkuni Arattu' Procession on April 11

NEW DELHI: The Thiruvananthapuram International Airport will suspend flight services for over four hours on April 11 to accommodate the holy 'Painkuni Arattu' procession of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple that crosses the runway, as announced by TIAL on Tuesday.

The airport operations will be halted from 4.45 pm to 9 pm, with airlines updating their flight schedules accordingly.

"The runway at Thiruvananthapuram Airport is closed twice a year to allow the Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple procession to pass through. This tradition, which involves taking the route to Shangumugham Beach for the idols' ritual bath, dates back centuries," the airport stated in a Facebook post.

This centuries-old tradition has continued even after the airport's establishment in 1932, with flights being rescheduled on these two days annually.

According to historians, when the airport was constructed, Travancore King Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma had specified that the facility would be available for public use for 363 days yearly, reserving two days for Lord Padmanabha, the titular deity of the royal family.

The airport issues a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) biannually before closing the runway during the Alpassi festival in October-November and the Painkuni festival in March-April.