Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the Keralam BJP president and Nemom MLA, has submitted a proposal to Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu seeking consideration for a new airport near Sabarimala in Kerala. The proposal, backed by senior party leaders Kummanam Rajasekharan and Anoop Antony, targets approximately 3,000 acres of land at Kodumon Estate in Pathanamthitta district for development as a Greenfield airport. The site is positioned near Pampa, the main access point for pilgrims visiting the temple.

Chandrasekhar argued that current pilgrims must travel to either Kochi or Thiruvananthapuram airports before continuing by road to the temple. A local airport would shorten the journey and improve convenience for devotees from across India and abroad. He cited improved air connectivity to other pilgrimage sites like Shirdi and Tirupati as precedent for the proposed facility.

The proposal also aims to enhance air connectivity for expatriate families in Pathanamthitta, a district with significant overseas employment links, particularly to the Gulf region. Chandrasekhar emphasized that the airport could strengthen regional tourism and economic activity by improving domestic and international connections. The document notes that such development would provide an additional transport option during the annual pilgrimage season, which draws millions of visitors each year.

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The initiative remains in the preliminary consultation phase. The Union minister must first consider the proposal before discussions with the Kerala government can begin. A feasibility study of the Kodumon Estate area would then be required under the Greenfield Airports Policy to assess technical and operational viability. The project would need to progress through standard approval processes before any construction could commence.

According to the proposal, the new airport would complement ongoing infrastructure assessments for the temple area, where transport connectivity is a key focus. Authorities and stakeholders continue to examine infrastructure requirements around Sabarimala, one of Kerala’s major pilgrimage destinations, with transport connectivity remaining a key component of the region’s infrastructure needs.