Amid the controversy over the proposed stake sale in Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Ltd. (AVPPL), the concessionaire operating the Vizhinjam deep-water transshipment port, to Terminal Investment Ltd. (TiL), the port operating arm of the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) Group, the Adani Group, which took over control of the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, has invited tenders for the development of the international terminal (T2) and ancillary buildings at the airport.
The international terminal, which has the capacity to handle 3.2 million passengers a year, will be expanded to accommodate more passengers. Once the expansion work is completed, the terminal will be able to handle a total of 11.2 million passengers annually. The domestic terminal is already highly congested, handling around 2.4 million passengers a year against its original capacity of 1.3 million, almost twice its designed capacity.
However, the expansion of the domestic terminal will be taken up only after the completion of the international terminal expansion. The project also includes the construction of the annex buildings, tunnels, utilities, departure and arrival ramps, landside works, and an air traffic control room. Airside expansion and future-ready infrastructure to handle growing passenger and cargo demand are also part of the project.
Work on the expansion of the international terminal, scheduled to begin in 2027, is likely to be completed by 2030, according to airport authorities. The expansion is a major component of the comprehensive development plan, titled ‘Project Ananta’, worth ₹8,707 crore, planned by the airport operator. As part of the first phase, airside expansion works worth ₹600 crore have already begun, and the operator will invest around ₹1,300 crore by 2027, according to the authorities.
Recently, the Adani Group’s proposed sale of a 49% stake in AVPPL courted controversy, with the State government alleging that it had not been informed about the stake sale by the seaport operator. According to the government, this violates Clause 5.3.1 of the concession agreement signed between the Kerala government and the Adani Group, which stipulates that “the Concessionaire shall not undertake or permit any ‘Change in Ownership’ of the port company, except with the prior approval of the Authority.”
Following this, the State has instructed an empowered committee, headed by the Chief Secretary, to examine the nuances of the stake sale and submit a report to the government. Ahead of the stake sale, AVPPL was valued at $2.85 billion, with MSC set to acquire a 49% stake for $1.397 billion. The Airport Authority of India(AAI) leased out the management of Thiruvananthapuram International Airport to Adani Enterprises Limited(AEL) from October 2021 for a period of 50 years.
Published - July 22, 2026 08:57 pm IST