Efforts to rope in major international airlines to operate to the Kannur greenfield international airport, the fourth international airport of the State, coming up at Mattannur in March 2017, has commenced.
The Kannur International Airport Limited (KIAL), the special purpose vehicle created to develop the airport, has convened a meeting of various airlines in the capital on July 27 to showcase the potential of the airport and the opportunities awaiting them in north Malabar.
The airlines will get a feel of the airport, the facilities being readied there in a presentation to be made by KIAL. The KIAL team, led by Managing Director V. Thulasidas, will also seek the views of airline representatives in finetuning the interiors of the terminal building, which is to be taken up soon. Although KIAL has fixed March 2017 for completing the first phase of the work, airlines from around the world have been approached to ensure that Kannur airport is included in the summer schedule prepared by the airline operators in advance.
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Already, Emirates, Fly Dubai, Qatar Airways, Oman Air, Air Arabia, Ethihad, Air India Express, Jet Airways, GoAir, Indigo, Air Pegasus, and Air Asia have expressed their interest to fly to Kannur.
Around 85 per cent of the integrated terminal and 74 per cent of the ancillary buildings — fire rescue station, power house, met park of the IMD, STP, service block, and the airfield ground lighting substation — has been completed. The roofing works of the terminal building is on.
Already, the 3,050-metre runway has been completed. The work of the airfield ground lighting is in full swing, a KIAL official said.
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When the “ferry” Code B aircraft of the Indian Air Force made its maiden touchdown on February 29, the strip available for the test flight was only 2,400 metres. The remaining 650-metre strip of the runway was completed in 60 days.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has posted officials of the Air Traffic Management and Communication and Navigation Services at the Kannur airport. The steps to get Aerodrome Licence from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have also commenced.