The Kerala government on Wednesday approved the construction of a greenfield airport near pilgrim site Sabarimala. The 2,263-acre airport, which will be situated 48 kilometres from the Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa Temple, will be the fifth in Kerala. Notably, an estimated 5 crore devotees visit the temple every year even though the nearest airport is 80 kilometres away in Thiruvananthapuram.