The proposed Sabarimala airport will feature a 3,500-metre runway and a 3,500-metre taxi track, along with a passenger terminal building with an area of 54,000 sq m, as outlined in the Detailed Project Report (DPR).

The state government has submitted the DPR to the Ministry of Civil Aviation for approval. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan chaired a meeting on the airport project to give an in-principle approval for the submission of the DPR in the first week of July.

The construction cost of the airport, excluding land acquisition cost, is estimated at ₹5,377 crore. The cost of land, along with resettlement and rehabilitation expenses, will be ₹2,408 crore. The total project cost will be ₹7,047 crore.

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The project requires 2,408 acres, of which 1,350 acres are for the airport company. Four hundred acres of land will be leased for commercial purposes, while 950 acres will be reserved for operational needs. The balance of the land will be at the government's disposal for various allied purposes.

The proposed airport will have an apron capacity to accommodate 2 Code E, 3 Code C aircraft. There will be two MARS (Multiple Apron Ramp System) configured aerobridges, which can accommodate 4 Code C or 2 Code E aircraft at a time, and Boeing 777-300ER (Code E) as the design aircraft.

The Boeing 777-300ER is the largest long-range twin-engine jetliner, capable of carrying 396 passengers in a standard two-class configuration and flying up to 7,370 nautical miles (13,650 km), according to the company's website.

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The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) categorises aircraft types based on two elements - a numeric code denoting the reference field length and a letter code based on a combination of aircraft wingspan and outer main gear wheel span.

The expert committee approved the social impact assessment report of the project in January 2025. The Government gave in-principle approval to construct an airport at Erumeli in 2017 and Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) was engaged as the nodal agency for acquiring suitable land near Sabarimala for setting up the project.

The Government has proposed a Greenfield International Airport in Kottayam district as the fifth international airport of the state. The proposed airport is intended to serve pilgrims to the Sabarimala Temple, as well as the domestic and international tourist communities. It will also serve the international Malayali community by providing enhanced connectivity to various countries worldwide, the SIA report notes.

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The proposed project is expected to cater to the needs of these pilgrims who visit Sabarimala by making the connectivity more convenient and easier. This project will also enable pilgrims to visit nearby pilgrimage destinations, according to the report.

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