Fifteen local and international carriers have expressed an interest in starting flights from Kannur International Airport, a major gateway currently under construction in India's southern Kerala state.
According to The Hindu newspaper, local carriers, consisting of Air India, Air India Express, GoAir, AirAsia India, Jet Airways, IndiGo Airlines, and SpiceJet and international carriers, consisting of Air Arabia, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, flydubai, Emirates, Oman Air, Gulf Air, and SilkAir, all expressed willingness to develop passenger, and in some cases cargo, operations at Kannur when it opens in March 2017.
Inquiries have been made concerning the availability of overnight stands as well.
Owned and operated by Kannur International Airport Limited (KIAL), in which the Airports Authority of India has a 10% stake, Kannur International Airport will feature a single 3,050metre-long runway (to be extended to 4,000m), an apron featuring fourteen parking bays, a cargo terminal, and an 80,000sqm passenger terminal. The runway was completed earlier this year with the facility expected to join it by late December following which it will undergo certification with the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Once fully operational, the facility will be able to handle 4.67 million passengers per annum as well as 39,638 aircraft movements per annum.
