Indian aviation bodies accused of neglecting Karippur airport

Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs) should remain vigilant against the “divide and rule” policy of Indian national airlines, according to a representative of the Malabar Chamber of Commerce which is spearheading an agitation against the “neglect” of Karippur International Airport in Malappuram.
M P M Mubasheer, an executive committee member of the Malabar Chamber of Commerce, was speaking to Gulf Times yesterday.
Mubasheer is visiting Qatar on an invitation from Gulf-Calicut Passengers Association (Gapac), a Doha-based forum of expatriates from northern Kerala, which was formed recently to protest against what it called “the indifferent and stepmotherly attitude” of the National Airport Authority of India (NAAI) and Indian Civil Aviation Department towards Karippur International Airport.
The Malabar Chamber of Commerce official said NAAI and the Civil Aviation Department has treated “no other airport in India as badly as the way they neglected Karippur”.
Karippur is one of the busiest airports in India, handling an average of 78,000 international and 20,000 domestic passengers every month, said Mubasheer.
“Despite this, when it comes to the issue of granting foreign airlines landing rights there, the Indian aviation officials are deliberately turning a blind eye towards the airport even as they allow them at airports such as Nagpur and Coimbatore. The records released by the civil aviation officials themselves have confirmed that the two airports have very little international traffic compared to Karippur,” he said.
24/11/07 Gulf Times, Qatar

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Categories: Airports Nov 2007, Foreign Nov 2007, NACIL Nov 2007