Adani Group, India’s largest operator of Airports opened it’s new format of Duty Free Stores at Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of the state of Kerala. The State Govt. which operates the civil airport at Kochi, has been in a legal tussle with the AAI for awarding the airport at Thiruvananthapuram to the Adanis.
Spread over 2,450 sqft across International Departures & Arrivals, there is an exclusive area dedicated for imported confectionary & chocolates. The stores also have branded perfumes, travel accessories and destination products. Handbags & Sunglasses would be added soon, said airport sources. The duty arrival store is located right opp the baggage belt, to enable arriving passengers to access the products on sale, without import duties and taxes.
In 2018, the Duty Free stores that were operated by incumbent operator Max Plus was terminated after a CBI-investigation that liquor worth Rs. 6the Crores were smuggled out of the airport by exploiting passenger information, according to local newspaper Mathrubhumi. The JV formed between Flamingo Travel Retail & Mumbai Travel Retail with Adani Airports has given an edge to the Airport Operator with a 74% share in the holding company.
The state of Kerala sees among the highest inflow of NRIs, expats and international passengers, with almost every household member, mostly, having a family member working in the middle east. Proudly proclaimed as “God’s Own Country”, Kerala has been a favourite for international tourists and the beaches of the state along with the exotic food attract millions of domestic and international visitors every year. With Covid-19 restrictions gone away almost fully, it’s party time across the airports in the state which is already witnessing a huge surge in tourist arrivals.
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