Kochi's naval base to be used for commercial flights from Monday

The Centre today said the Cochin Naval Base will be thrown open for commercial flight operations from the morning of August 20, bringing a huge relief to people awaiting resumption of air service from Kochi.

The main Kochi international airport, the seventh busiest in the country, has been rendered non-functional from August 14 due to flooding and torrential rains, and would remain closed till August 26. As a result, both domestic and international flights to Kochi are being diverted to other destinations such as Trivendrum and Calicut.

"In view of disruption of flights from Cochin airport due to floods, a joint team sent by @MoCA_GoI has approved starting of scheduled commercial flights using ATRs by Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India, between Bangalore and Cochin Naval Air base," Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu tweeted this evening.

In another tweet, he said, "flight operations between Bangalore and Cochin Naval airbase will be starting from 20th August morning."