Kochi International in the southern Indian state of Kerala is due to reopen on August 29, 2018, following a two-week closure caused by mass floods in the state, the airport operator has announced.

The airport was earlier poised to reopen on August 26, but most of the stakeholders asked the authorities to postpone the date for a few days. The local firms said it would be close to impossible to resume full activities on August 26, mostly due to the lack of staff. Some 90% of employees at the airport have been affected by the floods and many of them have left the area.

Service providers would also face significant obstacles with arranging supplies. This would negatively affect the regularity of operations at the airport.

Nearby hotels, restaurants, and other service providers also remain closed for the time being.

"As central Kerala has yet to recover from post-flood trauma, it is a daunting task to arrange local commutation, logistics of catering items, which will cause a cascading effect on passengers. In view of these apprehensions, Cochin International Airport Limited decided to extend the date of resuming operations for three more days," the airport spokesperson said.

The airport itself also sustained significant damage during the floods, estimated to cost the operator more than INR2.2 billion rupees (USD31.3 million). Among others, its lighting system and power storage equipment have been severely damaged. A 2.6-kilometre airport wall collapsed and the passenger terminal suffered extensively.

For the time being, airlines use the two other airports in Kerala, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram, as well as the Kochi naval air base Garuda, which temporarily opened to civilian flights.

The Kerala floods killed over 300 people and displaced millions of inhabitants.