Stephan Kayyar
Daijiworld Media Network - Kasargod (SP)

Kasargod, Feb 23: As per information gathered, works on the fourth international airport of Kerala at Kannur are in final stages, and that the airport is likely to begin functioning from December this year.

Towards this end, the first trial flight will be undertaken on February 29. Arrangements are being made to make some flights operational by September.

Out of 2,700 metres of runway here, 2,400 metres of runway is ready. Plans are afoot to use Code B aircraft for the trial flight. Although in normal course, building of an airport takes between five and six years, Kannur airport is getting ready within a period of two years. The total project cost of the airport is Rs 1,892 crore, and it is planned to begin cargo services here simultaneously. Although the trial flights were proposed during December last, the plan was postponed because of heavy rains which appeared in the region in October and November.

The airport, which is coming up at Mattannur near Kannur will be the fourth international airport of Kerala after Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode.

At present, many people working abroad and residing in north Kerala prefer to use Mangaluru airport for travelling to their countries of work. Out of Kerala's non-resident Indians working in the gulf, 15 percent belong to this area, and most of them use Mangaluru airport for travel. For them, Kannur airport will be close by as compared to Mangaluru. People from Kanhangad, Nileshwara and Trikkaripura are likely to make use of Kannur airport because of distance factor.

At present, about 13 lac passengers use Mangaluru airport for their air travel. As per an estimate, nearly five lac among them are from Kerala. The opening of Kannur airport therefore, is likely to result in a steep fall in the number of passengers using Mangaluru airport, analysts say.