Shri. S. Suhas IAS
Shri. S. Suhas, is an IAS officer from the 2012 Kerala cadre who is now the Managing Director of CIAL. He holds a degree in Electronics Engineering. His exceptional academic record, coupled with an impressive score in the GRE, paved the way for him to pursue a master’s degree in the United States with a prestigious scholarship. In 2012, he successfully cleared the highly competitive UPSC Civil Service Examination on his very first attempt. He started his career as the Assistant Collector of Ernakulam and got his first posting as Sub-Collector of Fort Kochi. He emphasized the use of technology for effective administration and bagged the best Project Officer Award for 'Kochi Smart City' project during the period. Sri. Suhas has also served as District Collector of Alappuzha, Wayanad and Ernakulam. He launched a program in the district of Wayanad to meet 10 tribal chieftains every month to identify and tackle various issues faced by them. His initiative 'Zero dropout Wayand' consisted of various projects to bring back the dropout tribal students to schools. This programme effectively put an end to the increasing number of government school dropouts and over 75% of the children were brought back to schools. He also took the tribal students for a metro ride in Kochi. As the District Collector of Alappuzha, Sri. Suhas won the hearts of the public as he paid a surprise visit to a government school in Alappuzha after a few parents raised concerns about the quality of the mid-day meals. It was during his tenure, Alappuzha gained momentum in Kerala’s booming tourism industry. Later, he marked his presence as the district head of Ernakulam. His first mission was to visit the residents of coastal areas of Chellanam who were suffering from the raging waves on and on. This was the first challenge he confronted, followed by the floods of 2019 and Covid 19. ‘Operation Breakthrough’, for battling the water clogging in the streets of Ernakulam and ‘Clean Ernakulam’, for a proposed clean city through systematic waste disposal, and proper implementation of ‘Life Mission’ project are the other achievements to name a few. He was widely admired and lauded for being at the forefront in the battle against COVID-19. Ernakulam became one of the first districts to establish special hospitals and observation centers for Covid patients. The ‘oxygen war room’ and ‘patient lift care’ were two commendable innovations that received national attention.
He also holds key responsibilities across major infrastructure entities in Kerala, serving as Managing Director of Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala (RBDCK) and Kerala Waterways Infrastructures Ltd (KWIL). The government has entrusted KWIL with the ambitious project of renovation of 560 kms of waterways. His leadership in RBDCK includes completing critical infrastructure projects like RoBs in Kaanjangad, Feroke, Guruvayoor, Kaarithas, Thiroor, Chirangara, Mulanthuruthy & Koduvally, with several others underway.
It was under the leadership of Sri. Suhas, CIAL achieved a remarkable turnaround post-pandemic. Despite a steep drop in passenger traffic and a loss of Rs. 85 crores in 2020-21 due to COVID-19, CIAL became the only airport in the country to record a profit in the following year. In FY 2021-22, CIAL reported a profit of Rs. 37 crores as well as a surge in traffic volume, showcasing its impressive recovery and resilience. CIAL has also made significant strides in both infrastructure and sustainability, during this period which witnessed the commissioning of the Arippara Hydro Electric Project in 2021, contributing to CIAL’s commitment to green energy. In 2022, the establishment of a 12 MWp solar power plant in Payyannur, further advancing the organization’s sustainability goals. This raised CIAL’s total installed power capacity to 50 MW. At CIAL, he led transformative initiatives, including the development of India's largest Business Jet Terminal, resulting in a record revenue of 1,000 crore for FY 2023-2024. The import cargo terminal commissioned in 2023 continues to be an integral part in the business development of the state. The 0484 Aero Lounge, launched in 2024, provides premium lounge experience accessible to all. The five-star hotel project, built by CIAL as its land use project and operated by HCL - TAJ group providing world class amenities, was inaugurated in December 2024 and is a landmark addition to the airport premises. CIAL also started the digitisation of customer touchpoints, enhancing the overall passenger experience with notable innovations include the inception of DigiYatra, the introduction of Fastrack Immigration - Trusted Traveller Program (FTI-TTP), a Perimeter Intrusion Detection System (PIDS), bolstering the security infrastructure. His leadership also saw the launch of CIAL 2.0, a Rs. 200-crore digital transformation initiative inaugurated in May 2025, introducing next-generation digital infrastructure including AI-enabled surveillance, advanced baggage systems, a Cyber Defence Operations Centre (CDOC) and contactless passenger solutions, elevating CIAL’s reputation as a globally secure and future-ready airport. It includes upgrades such as full-body scanners, an automated tray retrieval system, and over 4,000 AI-enabled surveillance cameras to improve passenger convenience and security.
The financial restructuring, operational improvisation and improvements in marketing verticals implemented by Team CIAL under Suhas have been successful for years, resulting in a turnover of Rs. 1142 crores and a record profit after tax of Rs. 490 crores in FY 2024-25. Additionally, CIAL became the only airport in Kerala to facilitate over one crore passengers in a calendar year and in the financial year. A slew of measures to increase aero and non-aero revenues are also in the pipeline, like Golf Tourism, Commercial Zone, Expansion of International Terminal etc. Expansive plans are also underway to enhance connectivity to more tier-3 cities in the domestic sector and to activate new routes in the international sector.