The LDF opposition in Thiruvananthapuram city corporation has demanded the immediate rollback of higher parking, entry and passenger charges at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, saying the revised rates are increasing the cost of even brief drop-offs and pick-ups.
In a statement issued on Monday, LDF parliamentary leader S P Deepak alleged that the airport operator was placing an excessive financial burden on ordinary passengers and their families. The revised parking rates came into effect on October 1, according to the report.
Under the new structure, private cars receive eight minutes of free parking. After that period, users are charged Rs 150 for up to 30 minutes and Rs 200 for one hour. The 24-hour parking fee for cars has been fixed at Rs 1,000.
The fee increase also affects two-wheeler users. The 24-hour parking charge for two-wheelers has doubled from Rs 150 to Rs 300. Deepak said the reduction in the free entry period meant that families visiting the airport to drop off or collect passengers could be charged even when their stay was brief.
The LDF leader also criticised the user development fee charged to passengers. He said the fee stood at Rs 1,200 for departing passengers and Rs 650 for arriving passengers. According to Deepak, these charges, in addition to airfares, were making air travel more expensive for ordinary travellers.
The dispute places airport access charges alongside the broader question of how users pay for infrastructure developed through public resources. Deepak argued that the airport had been developed using public resources, including land acquired by the state government, and alleged that privatisation had enabled the private operator to impose excessive charges. These claims were made by Deepak in the statement and were not independently assessed in the report.
The LDF questioned the silence of the state government and elected representatives, including Transport Minister and MLA C P John and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor. It called for their intervention on parking and passenger charges.
The opposition group has demanded that the airport restore what it described as reasonable parking rates, extend the free entry period and reduce passenger fees. The report does not include a response from the airport operator, the state government, C P John or Shashi Tharoor. No further decision on the fee structure was reported.
