It is a classic case of the elephant coming without the bullhook. The Kannur airport is almost ready for operation of flights, but its patrons would have a tough time reaching and leaving the airport. The reason: slow progress of work on the road access to the airport and the complete absence of rail connectivity.
Although emphasis was given on creating hassle-free rail and road connectivity to the airport from the day the project was kicked off, the work has not gained the desired traction so far. Given the slow pace of the work and the onset of the monsoon, the approach roads to the airport are unlikely to be ready when commercial operations commence from the greenfield airport.
Kannur-Mattannur, Thalassery-Mattannur, Payannur-Mattannur, Karnataka boder-Mattannur, Mattannur-Anjarakandi-Thalassery, Wayanad-Mattannur, Mahi-Muzhipplingad bypass and Nadapuram-Thalassery were the roads initially proposed for hassle-free connectivity to the airport. Six of these road projects have been approved and are being built by the Public Works Department utilising funds from the KIIFB.
Rail proposal
Similarly, there is no sign of the proposal to link Thalassery to Mysuru by rail taking off any time soon. The State government has been pressing for laying a 23-km line to link the airport to the mainline, but in vain. Till the line and a Kannur airport railway station take shape, flyers would have to take a 50-minute drive from both the Kannur and Thalassery railway stations to reach the airport.
The Kannur airport also figures on the list of the government’s ambitious project to ensure a direct waterway connectivity to international airports of the State as part of a multimodal transport system linking air, land, and waterways. The government has already kicked off the 610-km waterway project aimed at making the waterway from Kovalam in Thiruvananthapuram to Bekal in Kasaragod navigable by 2022. The project is being executed as a joint venture between Kerala Waterways and Infrastructure Ltd. (KWIL), a special purpose vehicle floated by the government, Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) and others on a 49:49:2 equity basis.
Waterway link a challenge
For the KWIL, the waterway link to the Kannur airport is the biggest challenge. The 26-km Mahe-Valapattanam stretch of the West Coast Canal has to be developed and linked to the Ancharakandy river to ensure connectivity to the Kannur airport coming up near Mattannur. The KWIL has received the feasibility report for development of the 4-km waterway-connectivity.
Traditional industries such as textile and handloom will get a boost with the commissioning of the airport. Rapid industrialisation is projected from the increase in flyers and the NRK’s working in West Asia and other countries. Taking this into account, KIAL has decided to set up an international cargo complex of 1 lakh sq. ft according to IATO norms on the western side of the terminal. Tenders have been floated and the KIAL board chaired by the Chief Minister is expected to award the project at the next board meeting.
Along with the cargo complex, the KIAL has also decided to set up a multi-storey office complex opposite the terminal building. A multi-storey building for housing the barracks for the personnel of the CISF, who would provide security cover to the airport, is also to be constructed.
Land is available and no further land acquisition is needed for these projects.
