The Kannur international airport coming up near Mattannur here will be denied modern facilities for operating larger aircraft if it does not have a 4,000-metre runway, Richard Hay, MP, has said.
The MP said that the project would not fulfil the aspirations of the people of the region, as the length of the runway was limited to that of a small airport.
It was a fact that the maximum length of a runway of an airport correlated positively to the growth and development of that region, he said.
Cost effective
Moreover, the aviation industry was using larger aircraft to be cost effective, he added.
He urged the State government to acquire land for extending the runway.
Mr. Hay said that as and when the Hub Policy of the Central government was ready, the airport with lengthiest runway of the State was expected to have an edge.
Land available
He further said that sufficient land was available and land owners were willing to offer their land for this purpose.
He said that he had brought the issue to the notice of the Civil Aviation Ministry.
He urged the State government to acquire land for extending the runway.