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The story of Thiruvananthapuram International Airport traces back to the erstwhile Travancore kingdom.
Long before commercial aviation became common, the Travancore royal family was closely associated with the region's aviation history.
Court records show that 258.06 acres of land were handed over by the Maharaja of Travancore. The land went to a flying club for the airport's development.
Another 329.68 acres were later acquired by the Airports Authority of India. A further 40.85 acres were handed over by the Kerala government, according to media reports.
The airport was established in 1932, under the patronage of the Travancore royal family.
A temple procession that still crosses the runway
The royal connection did not end with the land transfer.
A centuries-old route used by the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple's Arattu procession continued to pass through the airport premises. It still does today.
Twice a year, the airport effectively makes way for the deity.
The Arattu procession carries the idols of Sree Padmanabhaswamy and other deities from the temple to Shanghumugham Beach. There, they take a ceremonial sea bath.
According to accounts of the tradition, the then Maharaja Sree Chithira Thirunal stipulated a condition when the land was given.
The airport could be used by the public for 363 days a year. The remaining two days were reserved for Lord Padmanabha.
Business Standard reported this royal family account in 2021, when the airport was handed over for private operation.
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What aviation experts say about this royal legacy
Mark D Martin, a prominent aviation expert, told Hindustan Times Real Estate that aviation was a source of immense pride for India's Maharajas in the 1920s and 1930s.
Several princely states operated their own air services and airstrips at the time. Before 1954, India had as many as 60 privately owned airports.
Martin noted that some of this royal aviation legacy survives elsewhere too. Jodhpur airport and Begumpet airport in Hyderabad still maintain remnants of their royal past.
He described Kerala's continuing airstrip tradition as unique, reflecting how royal families have sought to preserve customs linked to aviation.
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The Onam connection
The link to Onam is less about the festival itself. It is more about the enduring legacy of Travancore's royal culture. This culture remains closely tied to Kerala's history.
Onam is rooted in the cultural memory of the ancient kingdom of Mahabali. Thiruvananthapuram airport's modern identity, meanwhile, remains deeply intertwined with the Travancore royal family and its historic association with Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple.
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