Minister for Airports, Ports and Excise K. Babu has said the proposal for extending the runway of the Kannur international airport coming up here is neither practical nor based on any scientific study.
Speaking at a meeting to review the progress of the construction work of the airport here on Monday, Mr. Babu reiterated that the airport’s runway length would be 3,400 metres.
He said only three airports (New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore) out of 117 airports in the country had 4,000-metre runway.
He further said the 3,400-runway being developed at the Kannur airport was adequate for the operation of Boeing 777 and 747 and Airbus 380.
Citing the difficulty in acquiring 70 acres of land for extending the runway to 3,400 metres from the original plan of 3,050 metres, he said that acquiring land for further extension would not be feasible.
Rural Development Minister K.C. Joseph accompanied Mr. Babu. Among those present at the review meeting were Kannur International Airport Ltd. (KIAL) Managing Director G. Chandramouli and District Collector P. Bala Kiran.
Mr. Babu said heavy showers at the project site in October, November and December as also previous disruption of work because of protest against blasting of rocks led to the rescheduling of the trial landing originally planned by December end. The target now was to complete the runway work for up to 2,400 metres by January 25 for the trial landing.
Efforts were under way to secure the consent of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation for the proposed trial landing.
The airport would be inaugurated only on the occasion of the launch of commercial operation planned in September this year, he said.
The Minister said no family that had been rehabilitated for acquiring land for the airport would be further rehabilitated for extending the runway.
For the acquisition of land in the Kacherikkadavu area of the airport project site, KIAL would approach the government for approval, he said adding that after the administrative sanction was given, the District Collector would initiate steps for the takeover of the land.
He said the Collector was directed to begin steps for starting the survey for the proposed greenfield road from Kannur to the airport. The survey could not be held because of the protest from local residents, he said adding the plan was to acquire land for the road project under a good compensation package.
