18 October,2026 06:17 PM IST | Thiruvananthapuram | mid-day online correspondent
The upcoming suspension on October 20 will facilitate the ‘Alpassi Arattu’ procession, one of the temple`s traditional biannual ceremonies. Representational Pic
Flight operations at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport will be suspended for five hours on October 20 to allow the traditional âAlpassi Arattu' procession of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple to pass along the runway, the airport operator said on Sunday.
Thiruvananthapuram International Airport Ltd (TIAL) said operations would remain suspended from 4 pm to 9 pm to facilitate the centuries-old religious procession. Passengers have been advised to check with their respective airlines for revised flight schedules, PTI rpeorted.
The twice-yearly suspension of airport operations is part of a long-standing tradition associated with the Travancore royal family. The ceremonial procession of the temple deity passes through the airport runway on its way to Shangumugham Beach, where the idols are taken for a ritual holy bath.
The practice has continued for centuries and was retained even after the airport was established in 1932.
According to historians, when the airport was built, the then Travancore King Sree Chithira Thirunal had stipulated that it would remain open to the public for 363 days a year, with two days reserved for Lord Padmanabha, the titular deity of the royal family.
The airport has accordingly paused operations and rescheduled flights twice a year to accommodate the temple's ceremonial processions.
The ritual has continued even after the Adani Group took over the management of Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.
The upcoming suspension on October 20 will facilitate the âAlpassi Arattu' procession, one of the temple's traditional biannual ceremonies.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has extended its airspace ban on Indian-registered aircraft and planes owned, operated or leased by Indian airlines for another month, until November 24, according to the country's airports authority.
The restriction, initially imposed on April 23, 2025, has been extended periodically since then amid strained relations between the two neighbouring countries.
The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) announced the extension in a post on X on Saturday, stating that the restriction also covers military flights.
The latest extension will remain in effect until 4:59 am local time on November 24, 2026, according to the authority.
A PAA spokesperson said a fresh Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) had been issued to extend the ban, Geo News reported.
Pakistan's airspace is divided into two flight information regions (FIRs), Karachi and Lahore, according to a 2022 document from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA). The latest NOTAM applies to both regions.
India and Pakistan imposed reciprocal airspace restrictions on each other's aircraft following the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.
India accused Pakistan of involvement in the attack, an allegation Islamabad denied. The incident was followed by a sharp escalation in diplomatic and military tensions between the two countries.
India closed its airspace to Pakistani airlines on April 30, 2025, in response to Pakistan's move.
Pakistan has imposed airspace restrictions on Indian aircraft during previous periods of heightened tensions, including the 1999 Kargil conflict and the 2019 Pulwama crisis, according to Geo News.
The continuing airspace restrictions have affected airline operations between the two countries, forcing carriers to take longer routes on some international flights.
(With PTI inputs)
