Trial run of flight at Kannur airport on December 31

www.mangaloretoday.com

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, July 20, 2015: A flight trial would be held at the under-construction international airport at Kannur on December 31 after which it would be made operational, Minister in-charge of Airports K Babu said here today.

"The trial of a flight will be held at Kannur airport on December 31 after which it will be operational. Commercial operation is expected by the middle of next year," he said.

Speaking at the fifth Annual General body Meeting of Kannur International Airport Ltd, Babu said the total cost of the airport, the second under the PPP mode, comes to around Rs 1,892 crore. Of this, a sum of Rs 892 crore was through bank loans and the balance through shares.

With the operation of the airport, Kerala will become the first state to have four international airports. The others are at Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram, he said.

The Kerala government has 35 per cent stake in the airport and various state and central government institutions also have a stake in the airport project.

The airport is coming up on 2,000 acres at Moorkhanparamba, about 25 km from Kannur.