Kannur International Airport has started commercial operations in the Indian state of Kerala.
Owned and operated by Kannur International Airport Limited (KIAL), the facility is claimed to be the second greenfield airport developed in Kerala under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.
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Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu was quoted by Hindustantimes.com as saying that the airport will lead the way for the state’s overall development.
He added that the new facility is intended to be a model for upcoming airports in the country.
Spanning 2,300 acres, the airport features amenities such as 24 check-in counters, self-checking machines, and self-baggage drop counters, as well as 32 immigration counters.
The airport is capable of handling 2,000 passengers a day with an annual intake of 1.5 million international travellers.
Big aircraft such as the Boeing-777 can easily land at the airport, which is capable of accommodating approximately 20 aircraft simultaneously.
Currently, the runway is 3,050m, with works having already started to extend the length to 4,000m. Following completion, the Kannur facility will be the biggest airport in Kerala state.
The new airport is likely to promote tourism and other developmental activities in north Kerala as well as adjoining Kodagu region of southern Karnataka.
The three other international airports in Kerala are located in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Kozhikode.
