Besides Air India, the airlines GoAir, IndiGo and SpiceJet are expected to start services to and from the Kannur International Airport Ltd (KIAL) in January, announces KIAL.
At a press conference, KIAL Managing Director V. Thulasidas said that the airlines are waiting to receive the clearance from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for commencing the services. Once the permission is obtained, GoAir will begin the operation on December 9th, and IndiGo will start its services from mid-January 2019. Foreign airlines also have submitted their proposal to DGCA for operating services connecting Kannur International Airport.
There would be 10-13 flights from Kannur soon, Mr. V. Thulasidas said.
The airport will also have services operating under UDAN project, regional airport development and regional connectivity scheme of Government of India. The project, targeting to make the airport travel affordable to all, will operate with some proposed changes.
IndiGo and GoAir to start Domestic Operations from Kannur Airport
In its initial stage, GoAir is expected to run services to Abu Dhabi, Dammam and Muscat. At a later stage, the airline would add two more destinations – Doha and Kuwait. Besides, the service provider plans to run services to Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai.
IndiGo will have flights to Goa, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hubli and Trivandrum.
Exclusive Cargo Complex at Kannur Airport
The authorities of Kannur International Airport intend to add an exclusive cargo complex, enabling cargo business to flourish. “Services operated by foreign airlines using big planes capable of carrying a heavy load is essential for the cargo business,'' Mr. Thulasidas added. The complex that is expected to generate notable income from non-aviation sources is expected to complete in one-and-half years.
Mr. K. P. Jose, Executive Director of KIAL; Mr. M. V. Velayudhan, Chief Security Officer; Mr. Daniel Dhanaraj, Central Industrial Security Force Commandant were the other dignitaries present at the press conference.
