Kerala gets 4th international airport

WITH INAUGURATION OF KANNUR AIRPORT, KERALA BECOMES

THE FIRST STATE IN THE COUNTRY TO HAVE FOUR INT’L AIRPORTS

THIRUVANANTHPURAM: Kerala on Sunday became the first state in the country to have four international airports after Union civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu and chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated an airport at Kannaur.

The Opposition Congress boycotted the function to protest the exclusion of former CM Oommen Chandy from invitees’ list and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also kept away from the event protesting the government stand the Supreme Court’s Sabarimala verdict . Minister of state tourism KJ Alphons also skipped the event saying he was “ignored” by the state government.

“It is a historic moment for north Kerala. No doubt the new airport will fuel growth in Malabar area,” said Vijayan. Prabhu said Kannur has scripted another chapter in country’s aviation industry and it will pave way for the overall development of the state. He said the new green airport will be a role model for upcoming airports.

Former civil aviation minister CM Ibrahim, a native of Thalassery who first mooted the idea for the airport in 1995, was also felicitated at the occasion.

A semi-corporate airport, 67.14% shares in the Kannur International Airport Ltd are owned by individuals (mostly NRIS) and corporate entities while the state government holds 32.86% in return for land and other development undertaken in the area.

It can facilitate big aircraft like Boeing 777 and has parking capacity for 20 big and small aircraft. It has 24 check-in counters, self-baggage drop counters and 32 immigration counters. The new airport is expected to give a big push to tourism in north Kerala and adjoining Kodagu region of Karnataka, officials said.

Kerala, which has a sizeable expatriate population, already has three international airports, at Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode. Kannur airport is expected to cater to one million passengers annually, officials familiar with the matter said.

The airport saw its share of controversy after Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah’s chartered flight landed there on October 27, before the official inauguration. A few of BJP workers began a campaign claiming Shah had inaugurated the airport, leading to a spat with the Left Democratic Front regime.