Feasibility study for airstrip, heliport in Gurvayur

Kochi: The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has begun feasibility studies for setting up an airstrip and heliport in the pilgrim town of Guruvayur in Kerala's Thrissur district.
On Saturday, a technical team led by AAI general manager (Technical) R Rajasekharan arrived in Guruvayur and visited some sites where adequate open land was available. "We visited three sites Pavaratty, Pookkode and Kandanassery near Guruvayur where land is available for the airstrip. Now we have to collect their technical features like, wind direction, speed and obstructions," Rajasekharan told TOI.
The team also visited nearby Dwaraka Beach to see if it could hold a heliport. The Guruvayur Devaswom has about 12 acres of land and the proposal is to set up the heliport there.
"The idea is to promote high-class pilgrim tourism by launching heli-taxi services between Guruvayur and Kochi International Airport," said Thrisuur MP P C Chacko, who took the lead to persuade AAI for the study.
Chacko feels that the heliport can be set up without much delay, as it involves the construction of only a control tower and deployment of security infrastructure. It could even be built on public-private partnership model, he added.
31/10/10 T Ramavarman/Times of India

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Categories: airports Oct 2010, Indian Aviation- In General Oct 2010, New Oct 2010