Thiruvananthapuram AFS

Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, also known as Trivandrum Airport, is an international airport serving Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, India. Established in 1932 as part of the Royal Flying Club, it was the first airport in Kerala. In 1938, the Royal Government of Travancore acquired a Dakota aircraft and stationed the first squadron of the Royal Indian Air Force (Travancore) there for state protection. The airport was officially declared an international airport in 1991.

In addition to civilian operations, the airport headquarters the Southern Air Command of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Coast Guard for their operations. The IAF maintains an exclusive apron for its activities. The airport also supports the Rajiv Gandhi Academy for Aviation Technology, which conducts pilot training and has its own hangar facility capable of accommodating 10 trainer aircraft.

Thiruvananthapuram International Airport features a single runway, 14/32, with an asphalt surface. It hosts Air India's narrow-body maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) unit, which includes twin hangars for servicing Boeing 737-type aircraft, primarily those of Air India Express. The MRO facility, commissioned in 2011, can simultaneously service two aircraft and is equipped for crucial 'C' checks.

Security at the airport is managed by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) under the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, utilizing advanced security equipment such as X-RAY Baggage Inspection (X-BIS) and Explosive Trace Detection Systems (ETDS). The airport has a CAT-1 instrument landing system (ILS) and various radar systems for air traffic control.

Notably, the airport traditionally pauses operations and reschedules flights twice a year to allow religious processions from the Padmanabhaswamy Temple to pass through the airfield, a practice that predates the airport's establishment.

Expansion plans announced in 2023 include a new terminal building and the acquisition of land to extend the runway to accommodate larger aircraft. This expansion also involves the relocation of BrahMos Aerospace Trivandrum Limited (BATL), a subsidiary of BrahMos Aerospace, which produces BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles for the Indian Armed Forces.