Kerala becomes first state to have 4 int’l airports
Kerala has become the first state in the country to have four international airports with the inauguration of the Kannur airport on Sunday.
Civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu and chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan jointly flagged off the inaugural Air India Express flight, carrying 186 passengers to Abu Dhabi, at the airport near Mattannur town in the morning.
With the commissioning of the airport, the state has become the first in the country to have four international airports, with Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode being the other three.
Speaking at the inaugural function, Prabhu said the commissioning of the greenfield airport was expected to pave way for the state’s overall development and prosperity, especially the northern region.
“The Centre is also preparing an integrated logistics plan to fast-track movement of goods and cut transactions cost of business and we are actively working with Kerala government on this,” Prabhu, who is also the commerce and industries minister, added.
Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan hailed the support of the minister in fulfilling the state’s dream project.
Vijayan said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s response was also positive when he had met him as part of bringing foreign carriers to the airport. “The effective interventions of everyone has helped the airport become a reality now.”
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