Calicut welcomes big aircraft with water salute
KOZHIKODE: Expatriates, their families,andactivistswhospearheaded campaign for resumption of widebody light operations from Calicut International Airport gave a rousing welcome to Saudi Airlines flight from Jeddah, which landed here on Wednesday.
Saudi Airline Airbus 330-300, the irst big aircraft to touch the tarmac after a gap of three-and-half years, landed at Karippur at 11.10am on Wednesday.
The Fire Force gave a water salute to the light with 211 passengers on board and peopole’s representatives welcomed the passengers. Saudi Airlines had started bookings for the light on last Thursday.
Saudi Airlines would operate lights from Calicut to Jeddah on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday as well as to Riyadh on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. The carrier would operate wide-body planes - A330-300 and B777200ER - for the services.
The lights to Riyadh and Jeddah will take off at 1pm while return services will start at 3.15am and 4.5am (Saudi time) from Jeddah and Riyadh respectively.
Saudi Airlines published schedule for lights from Dec.5 till 29 and the schedule will change from January.
Since 1 May 2015, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) had banned wide-body aircraft for six months due to runway re-carpeting which had been long overdue at this airport. Emirates, Saudi Airlines and two Air India 747 light operations had to be moved temporarily to the Cochin International Airport at Nedumbassery.
Leaders of political parties, expatiate organisations, activists and business associations had demanded resumption of wide-bodied aircraft services from Calicut.
Majority of expatriates from Malabar work in Saudi Arabia and lack of connectivity caused untold miseries to the passengers and their families.
PK Kunhalikutty, MK Raghavan, ET Mohamed Basheer, PV Abdul Wahab (all MPS), P. Abdul Hameed, MLA and representatives of Malabar Development Forum were present along with top oficials of the airlines.
Muslim League leader PK Kunhalikutty, MP, alleged that the Union and state governments did not show enough interest in matters of Calicut airport. “Calicut airport, which is used by common people is in the public sector. It is also Hajj embarkation point. Kerala government and central government failed to address the negligence shown towards the airport,” Kunhalikutty said while addressing a function organized by Muslim League at the airport premises.