Kozhikode: While Kannur International Airport is lobbying for increasing the frequency of flights, those who managed to get clearance for big aircraft from Calicut International Airport are campaigning for Air India to seize the opportunity.
There are reports that the flag carrier would conduct a couple of trials in landing and take off with wide-bodied planes here.
The airport closed for big aircraft since May 2015, started receiving them on December 5 with the landing of Saudi Airlines.
There were allegations that the director general of civil aviation and the Union ministry had kept on hold the procedures under pressure from other major players in the state.
Kannur and Cochin are corporate airports with the state government being the single largest stakeholder while the Airport Authority of India runs Calicut and Trivandrum.
M.K. Raghavan MP who resuscitated life into the ailing airport by his strategic intervention through a day-night hunger strike said the AI could not ignore the most sought-after airport by a majority of Non-Resident Keralites in the Gulf.
“Now with the Saudi Airlines operating big aircraft, the AI also is fast on the procedural track,” he told DC.
“I am in touch with top officials of AI and will be meeting AI CMD Pradeep Singh Kharola soon to get a final word."
Meanwhile, P.K. Kunha-likutty MP told reporters that the AI would be conducting an experimental landing next week.
“It's a major airport catering to a region of highest NRK population,” he said.
