COMMENTARY
INTERVIEWS
SPECIALS
CHAT
ARCHIVES

Kochi airport opens, A-I flights to Gulf overbooked

The landing of an Air-India Airbus-310 from Dhahran (Saudi Arabia) at the newly-commissioned Kochi International Airport at Nedumbasserry today, marked the commencement of normal flight operations since its inauguration on May 25.

The airbus, with 203 passengers and a 16-member crew on board, touched down at the 3,400 metre long runway at 1055 hrs.

The passengers and crew members were accorded a rousing reception at the terminal building.

Kerala minister for cooperation S Sarma, civil aviation secretary P V Jayakrishnan, the director-general of civil aviation, H S Khola, Air-India managing director M P Mascarenhas and Cochin International Airport Limited managing director V J Kurian were among those who received the passengers.

Later, the airbus took off to Dhahran at 1340 hrs with 103 passengers on board.

President K R Narayanan inaugurated the Rs 2.30 billion airport on May 25 last.

Addressing newsmen at the terminal, Jayakrishnan, who is also Air-India chairman, and Mascarenhas said tickets for Air-India flights from the airport for various gulf destinations during the next week had been overbooked. A-I would be operating a Boeing-747 Jumbo in that sector on June 21 next.

Jayakrishnan said Indian Airlines would be operating its international as well as domestic flights from the airport within a week. Its first international flight would be to Muscat.

He said Air-India had also plans to operate flights to the destinations in Europe and the United States after the current flights stabilised and traffic increased. This is the first airport in the country not owned by the government.

Jayakrishnan and Mascarenhas said there had been nothing wrong in obtaining exclusive rights for Air-India for groundhandling at the airport. Only a single agency had been handling such work in several international airports abroad.

Moreover, A-I had a special interest at the Kochi Airport where it had invested Rs 160 million by way of equity in CIAL and purchase of groundhandling equipment.

DGCA H S Khola said the airport had complied with all norms for flight safety and permanent licence of the DGCA would be given to it soon. The DGCA had asked CIAL, the company which promoted the airport, to demolish two buildings near the runway that obstructed the flight path.

Jayakrishnan said the present airport at Willingdon Island in the city would be returned to the navy once flights of Indian Airlines and other companies were shifted to the new airport.

The airport is a joint venture promoted by Kerala government and the public, especially non-resident Indians of Kerala. The state government has a 51 per cent equity stake in CIAL.

Business news

ALSO SEE

Air-India's Dahran flight to Kochi to mark opening of airport