When divine path crosses airport runway: Kerala airport to halt flights for 5 hours on November 9

Flight services from the planetary airdrome present volition beryllium suspended for 5 hours connected November 9 to marque mode for 'Alpassi Arattu' procession of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple here, TIAL said connected Saturday.

The yearly procession traditionally taken connected a way crossing the runway. The Thiruvananthapuram International Airport Ltd (TIAL) said the formation services would beryllium suspended from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. connected November 9. It said the updated timings of the flights are disposable with the respective airlines.

"The runway astatine Thiruvananthapuram International Airport remains closed doubly a twelvemonth for the Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple procession to walk through. The signifier of the procession traversing the existent way to scope the Shangumugham Beach for the beatified bath of the idols began centuries ago. "This ritual continues adjacent aft the airdrome was established successful 1932, ensuring that the civilization and traditions of the portion stay intact," TIAL said successful a release.

The airdrome has been pausing operations and rescheduling flights doubly each twelvemonth for decades to alteration the bi-annual, centuries-old ceremonial procession of the shrine to walk done the runway.

When the airdrome was constructed here, the past Travancore King Sree Chithira Thirunal had made it wide that installation would beryllium unfastened for nationalist for 363 days successful a twelvemonth and 2 days for Lord Padmanabha, the titular deity of the royal family, historians say.

The royal epoch ritual has been continuing adjacent aft the Adani Group took implicit the absorption of the airport.

The airdrome issues a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) doubly each twelvemonth earlier the runway is closed during the bi-annual Alpassi festival which falls successful October-November and the Painkuni festival successful March-April.