With religious tourism steadily rising and Ayodhya emerging as a go-to destination, the city’s airport is under increasing pressure to maintain hygiene standards despite modest infrastructure. Vinod Kumar, Airport Director- Maharshi Valmiki International Airport, Ayodhyadham, Ayodhya, shares the everyday challenges and the strategies being put in place.
At present, the airport handles six to seven flights a day, translating to 12–14 aircraft movements. The steady passenger movement places consistent demand on terminal facilities, especially washrooms.
“One of the key challenges arises when there is higher passenger movement during the day,” said Vinod Kumar. “Washrooms see increased usage, and cleanliness can become an issue. We respond by increasing cleaning staff deployment during these hours, so that cleaning can happen in quick succession and the facilities are not left unattended.”
Consumables and cleaning agents are stocked in advance, and fixtures are regularly inspected and replaced when needed. However, the maintenance team faces specific issues due to unfamiliarity among passengers with modern fixtures.
“Many of our urinals are sensor-based and flush automatically.” Speaking on first-time flyers, who may not always understand how to use them, he said that so far no issues have been experienced and the staff in the washroom are always there to take corrective measures.
While automated cleaning solutions and robotics are being adopted at larger airports, Ayodhya has yet to implement such systems. Vinod Kumar recognises their importance: “This is the era of digitalisation. Every airport needs to move in that direction. Automation will improve both the quality and efficiency of cleaning operations. As infrastructure allows,
we will work towards integrating such systems.”
The influx of tourists during the Ram Mandir inauguration was a milestone moment for the city and its airport. Though Vinod Kumar was not stationed at Ayodhya at the time, he noted that events of such scale call for well-coordinated planning.
“Large gatherings like Ram Mandir are bound to happen again. We have to prepare in advance — whether it is by controlling
passenger movement, coordinating flight operations or formalising a hygiene SOP,” he said. “Discussions have already begun
internally to strategize for future surges.”
As one of the newest functional airports in the country, Ayodhya Airport is steadily responding to the unique demands placed upon it. While the infrastructure is still scaling up, its management is actively working to align its hygiene standards with future-ready expectations.
