17 airlines keen to operate from Kannur airport

Seventeen airlines, 11 of them International, have evinced interest in commencing flight services from Kannur International airport, which is expected to commence commercial operations this year, Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan said.

The international airlines, including Emirates, Fly Dubai and Air Arabia and six domestic carriers were prepared to operate to the new airport, which is expected to get the mandatory aerodrome licence soon, Vijayan said at the Annual General Body Meeting of the Kannur Internatioanl Airport Ltd (KIAL) here Saturday.

The runway, airside works, integrated terminal building, city side works and facilities inside the terminal had been completed and ground handling services at the airport had been outsourced, the Chief Minister, who is also KIAL chairman, said.

Land acquisition proceedings for enhancing the runway's length from 3050 metres to 4000 metres was on, he added.

Once commissioned, the Kannur airport would be the fourth in the state after Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode.