Kerala Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president and MLA Rajeev Chandrasekhar has formally taken up the long-pending demand for a dedicated airport for Sabarimala pilgrims with the Union government, proposing a feasibility study of approximately 3,000 acres at Kodumon Estate in Pathanamthitta. The move marks a fresh push on an issue that has been discussed for several years without resolution.

What the Proposal Covers

Chandrasekhar met Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu and submitted a proposal put forward by senior BJP leaders Kummanam Rajasekharan and Anoop Antony. The proposal calls for a detailed examination of the land at Kodumon Estate, to be carried out in consultation with the Kerala government, with the aim of developing a greenfield airport to serve Sabarimala pilgrims. The site has also been proposed for consideration under the Centre's Greenfield Airports Policy.

The Connectivity Problem It Aims to Solve

Currently, pilgrims arriving at Sabarimala from across India and abroad must land at either Kochi or Thiruvananthapuram and then endure a road journey of several hours to reach the pilgrimage centre. The proposed airport, located in the vicinity of Pampa, would significantly cut travel time and ease the journey for millions of devotees who visit the shrine each season. Chandrasekhar also flagged broader regional benefits, noting that improved air connectivity would serve families in Pathanamthitta with members working abroad.

Precedents from Other Pilgrimage Hubs

The BJP leader cited the improved air connectivity at Shirdi and Tirupati as models demonstrating how better transport infrastructure can drive the growth of pilgrimage destinations. He said the objective was to provide Sabarimala pilgrims with world-class travel facilities comparable to those at other major religious centres in the country. This framing places the Sabarimala airport squarely within the broader national narrative of pilgrimage tourism infrastructure development.

Key Hurdles Ahead

Despite the political momentum, the proposal will require detailed technical and environmental feasibility assessments before any project decision can be taken. Notably, the demand is not entirely new — a proposed Sabarimala airport at Cheruvally has been under consideration for several years without progressing to implementation. The Kodumon Estate site represents an alternative location now being put forward for examination. Any greenfield airport project in a ecologically sensitive region such as this would also likely attract scrutiny on environmental grounds, a factor the proposal does not yet address.

What Happens Next

The Centre is yet to formally respond to the proposal. A feasibility study, if ordered, would be the first concrete step toward a final decision. Given the scale of the land parcel and the policy framework required, any airport at this location remains several years away from realisation, even under an optimistic timeline.