11 international airlines will operate from Kannur airport
Eleven international companies and six domestic companies have agreed to operate from the Kannur International Airport, Kerala Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan said. “It is a matter of pride that we have been able to make progress in the construction of Kannur international airport within the last two years,” he said while presiding over the annual general meeting of the company.
International airlines such as Emirates, Etihad, Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Oman Air, Qatar Airways, Gulf Air, Saudia Airways, Silk Air, Air Asia and Malindo Air and domestic airline companies such as Air India Express, Jet Airways, IndiGo, SpiceJet, Air India Express and Go Air were the airlines who agreed to operate from Kannur airport.
Rs 694 crore worth EPC contract including the runway and air-side works and Rs 498 crore worth terminal building and the city-side construction works, DFMD, HHMD, In-line X-Ray machine, baggage handling system, check-in counters, Immigration check points, lifts, escalators and passenger boarding bridge works inside the terminal building have been completed.
Air India’s subsidiary Air India Air Transport Services Ltd and Celibi Ground Handling Delhi Pvt Ltd are the in-charge of Ground Handling Services.
Rs 113 crore worth works have been given to Monde Carlo Limited Company to construct an international air cargo complex by Kannur Airport, a four-storey airport office complex, a five-storey CISF residential complex along with a construction of 23 km long road and lighting and land scraping works. It is expected that these construction activities will be completed within a year and half.
Land acquisition process is in progress as decided by the company’s Board of Directors to increase the runway length from 3050 meters to 4000 meters. Once the 4000 m runway is completed, Kannur Airport will become Kerala’s largest airport, the minister said.
At present, around 136 employees are working with the company in various departments. The minister informed that the company is the process of filling the remaining posts. It has been decided to employ atleast one member of the families who have lost their homes during the land acquisition process for the airport. So far, 29 people have got appointment in this category. The rest of the people who will come under this segment will be appointed through Air India ATSL, the cargo handling/ground support agency. Air India ATSL will provide the appointment letters for the employees who are recruited in this category.
The Airports Authority of India has already established a Doppler Vary High Frequency Omni Range (DVR) and the Information Landing System. The inspection for the same has also been completed. DGCA Air India Express and IndiGo have successfully completed the flight trial on September 20 and 21, based on the DVOR as suggested by the AAI. Based on the inspections and the flight trials, it is expected that the airport license will be received soon, said the minister.
The CISF has decided to appoint 613 security personnel at the airport, the appointments are expected to be completed by October 1. “Kerala Police will be deployed temporarily for the Immigration procedures. The procedure to begin commercial activities at the airport is expected to be completed by 2018,” said Pinarayi.
Ministers E Chandrasekharan, Ramachandran Kadannappally, A K Saseendran, Managing Director V Tulsidas, Director Board Member M A Yusuffali, and company secretary G Njanendra Kumar were also present at the meeting.