Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala government has stated that the proposed Sabarimala airport will be one of Kerala’s largest international airports, and that the acquisition of 2,570 acres of land is in line with central government policy.

The statement comes in response to a court appeal following the High Court’s stay on land acquisition for the airport.

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The government pointed out that new airports across the country are acquiring land exceeding the requirements for terminals and runways. For comparison, the upcoming Noida airport near Delhi has 7,200 acres, Hyderabad 5,500 acres, Bengaluru 4,000 acres, and Parandur in Tamil Nadu 5,367 acres. The policy of the union government mandates that airports must have sufficient land to ensure basic passenger amenities.

The central policy was approved in 2008, after which land acquisition for Kannur airport began. The High Court single bench had earlier questioned the necessity of 2,570 acres for the Sabarimala airport, noting that even large airports typically require only about 1,200 acres.