Airport working with minimum personnel

Domestic terminal is partly on the boundary of the containment wards

Personnel in various wings have been reduced to the minimum at the Thiruvanananthapuram international airport, as the T-1 domestic terminal on the Shanghumughom side is on the boundary of the wards declared buffer zones in the wake of the COVID-19 superspreader in Poonthura region.

With the district administration asking the airport authorities to be cautious, hundreds coming from the critical containment zone of Poonthura comprising Puthenpally, Manakiyavilakom and Poonthura wards and buffer zone wards of Vallakadavu, Beemapally, Beemapally East, Valiyathura and Muttathura have been asked to remain at home.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the various stake holders engaged in airport operations and security had ensured that no one from the Poonthura region, adjacent buffer zones, and other containment zones in the district, reported for work at the airport, Airport Director C.V. Ravindran said on Friday.

Crisis planning

“We are running the airport with minimum personnel in the Communications, Engineering, Maintenance wings and in Air Traffic Control. The officials of the HR, Finance and other wings of the AAI have been asked to work from home. Contingency plan is in place to handle any exigency,” he said.

Movement of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, who provide security to the premier airport of the State, have been badly affected, as the barracks of the force is in Muttathara, a containment zone.

Their movement from the notified Poonthura region through the NH 66 bypass has been restricted.

Outside the barracks

About half of the force, however, stay with their families outside the barracks and they are the ones helping in the crisis situation by reporting for duty and also chipping in extra hours after work.

Fire services wing of the AAI is working with full strength. Operating airlines are working with skeletal staff at the domestic terminal.

The terminal, the parking area, and busy road in front, remain deserted.

The police have barricaded the road in front of the T-1 domestic terminal to prevent movement to and from Vallakadavu and Valiyathura sides.

Entry restricted

The entry to the T-1 terminal for flyers and for personnel on duty at the airport has been assigned through the Chakka-All Saints-Shanghumughom road. But the caving in of the road due to the high waves is a concern.

Domestic flight services from T-1 and of repatriation flights ferrying stranded Non Resident Keralites from West Asia from the T-2 international terminal could be accessed from the city side.

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