KOZHIKODE:In a severe setback to Karipur Airport, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) on Tuesday clarified that wide-body aircraft like Boeings would not land in the airport even after the scheduled runway re-carpeting and strengthening works.
“The Karipur Airport has been listed in the critical airports list. The airport was always meant for smaller aircraft. Now, the wide-body flights are not landing at the airport, and the status quo will continue even after the renovation work,” a top AAI official told Express.
However, the official’s statement can only be taken with a pinch of salt, as wide-body aircraft were landing at the airport till May, before it was partially closed for refurbishing works.
There has also been widespread criticism that the runway was closed even before completing the tender process to identify the company that would undertake the renovation works.
“The AAI has decided to recarpet the runway at Karipur airport after finding wide cracks in the strip. According to the AAI worksheet, it will take 18 months to complete the renovation work,” said the official.
But the tender process has still not been completed, and many fear that it would take more than two years to complete the entire work.
An indefinite hunger-strike was started at the Mananchira Square here under the aegis of the Calicut Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CCCI) and the Malabar Development Forum (MDF).
09/09/15 G Unnikrishnan/The New Indian Express
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“The Karipur Airport has been listed in the critical airports list. The airport was always meant for smaller aircraft. Now, the wide-body flights are not landing at the airport, and the status quo will continue even after the renovation work,” a top AAI official told Express.
However, the official’s statement can only be taken with a pinch of salt, as wide-body aircraft were landing at the airport till May, before it was partially closed for refurbishing works.
There has also been widespread criticism that the runway was closed even before completing the tender process to identify the company that would undertake the renovation works.
“The AAI has decided to recarpet the runway at Karipur airport after finding wide cracks in the strip. According to the AAI worksheet, it will take 18 months to complete the renovation work,” said the official.
But the tender process has still not been completed, and many fear that it would take more than two years to complete the entire work.
An indefinite hunger-strike was started at the Mananchira Square here under the aegis of the Calicut Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CCCI) and the Malabar Development Forum (MDF).
09/09/15 G Unnikrishnan/The New Indian Express
