Govt to mobilise 49% equity from mkt for Kannur airport

Seeking to fast-track the work at the proposed Kannur airport in Kerala, the state government has decided to mobilise 49 per cent equity from open market while retaining 51 per cent in the public sector.

Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan said last night that the government would hold 26 per cent of the equities directly, 23 per cent would be set apart from public sector undertakings, and two per cent for the company promoted for the purpose by the government.

The plan is to develop the airport on the lines of the Cochin International Airport (CIAL), a joint venture project which has proved a big success.

A total of 2,200 acres of land would be acquired for the airport on fast-track mode.

As in the case of CIAL, the Chief Minister would be chairman of the company.

Kannur would be the fourth airport in the state after Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi (Nedumbassery) and Kozhikode (Karippur).

According to civil aviation experts, development of Kannur airport would give a fillip to air travel and goods movement considering the Gulf connection of people from the north Malabar region.