Kannur: The reservation for Air India Express flights operating from Kannur International Airport Limited (KIAL) will begin this week, according to AIE authorities. The time schedule has already been submitted to the director-general of civil aviation which may approve it in two days. The first Air India Express service will be operated to Dubai and the official announcement will be made soon. Services will also be operated to Riyadh, Muscat, Sharjah and Doha and there will be four international services by AIE daily.
The Spice Jet and Indigo airlines also will finalise their services soon. The Spice Jet and GO Air had evinced interest in operating domestic as well as international services from KIAL. KIAL managing director V. Thulasidas will meet the top officials of the airlines soon.
The airport will be inaugurated on December 9 and the DGCA has already cleared the aerodrome licence.
Moves are also afoot to extend the runway from the present 3,050 metres to 4,000 metres. Spread over 2,300 acres of land, the airport will serve the passengers from the Malabar region and parts of Coorg and Mangalore in Karnataka. The terminal building for passengers is 97,000 square metres whereas the construction work of international cargo complex with 1.05 lakh square feet is at its final stage.
The airport has 24 check-in counters, self-baggage drop counters and self- checking machines. There will be 32 immigration counters, four e-visa counters and 16 customs counters. Six aerobridges have been completed.
