Mattanur: It’s 24 by 7 at Moorkanparambu, Mattannur in Kannur. Hundreds of workers are on a mission mode at the site of Kannur international airport project in a bid to meet the scheduled deadline for opening in September, set by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan recently. One may wonder whether they will be able to meet the deadline, but the authorities are hopeful.
“Around 90 per cent of the works have been completed,” Kannur International Airport Limited (KIAL) managing director V. Thulasidas told DC. “We shall apply for aerodrome license to the director-general of civil aviation (DGCA) on May 1. The documents to apply for the DGCA clearance are getting ready.”
The airport is scheduled to have a 4,000-metre runway in the final phase and it will have 3,050 for the first phase. The structure of the main terminal building is over. The work is at progress at the safety area of the runway. Aprons, air traffic control (ATC) building, the aerobridge and other essential landmarks that help the site to identify itself as an airport is fast taking shape.
An apron to park 20 aircraft at a time has been set up according to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) norms. Another apron having the parking space for 60 aircraft is planned in the later stage.
As many as 15 international airline companies took part in the first discussion held with KIAL authorities and air routes for Jet Airways (to Abu Dhabi) and GoAir (to Dammam), daily once, have already been allotted.
KIAL is expected to cater to NRIs and facilitate export of perishable cargo. It also expects passenger inflow from Coorg in Karnataka which is only 90 km far.
The government has already acquired 2,000 acres for the airport project which was initiated in 1996 when E.K Nayanar was the Chief Minister with the active support of then Union minister for civil aviation C.M Ibrahim, a Kannur native. The foundation stone of the project was laid on December 17, 2010. With a runway of 4,000 metre, KIAL will become the fourth airport in the country with biggest runway after New Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. It could facilitate the landing of big flights such as Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 707 Jumbo jet.
The total project cost is Rs 1,892 crore for the first phase of which Rs 1000 crore was mobilized through equity. The state government holds 35 per cent equity in the holding company while PSUs hold 25 per cent and Airport Authority of India (AAI) 10 per cent. The private sector private sector holds 30 per cent. According to sources, NRI entrepreneur M.A. Yusuff Ali and his son-in-law Dr Shamsheer V.P. have the highest number of shares among the private equity holders.
