Kannur: When the DH 83 Fox Moth aircraft of Tata Airlines used to land on the airstrip at Kannur Cantonment in 1935, on its way from Bombay to Thiruvananthapuram, mainly for refuelling purpose, nobody had expected that an international airport would ever become a reality here.
In 1960s, Kannur municipality passed a resolution demanding the central government to set up an airport here. In the 1980s the campaign gained momentum and in the nineties, it got a shape.
“It was based on a feasibility and viability memorandum by the North Malabar Chamber of Commerce in 1995-96, when I was its president, that the project slowly took shape and the then civil aviation minister C M Ibrahim gave the nod for the airport,” said C H Aboobacker Haji, who was one among the early campaigners for the project.
Now, when the Kanur International Airport Ltd (Kial) is being commissioned, it would open up immense possibilities for the north Malabar region and also some parts of Karnataka, in terms of trade and tourism, he said. Though the civil aviation ministry gave the nod, there was not much progress, following which the then E K Nayanar government took the initiative in 1996, to form an action committee, with Pinarayi Vijayan, who was then the minister for electricity and cooperation, as chairman. Incidentally, the inaugural flight is being flagged off by Vijayan himself.
It was during that time a four-member team from Kozhikode airport, under SPS Bakshi, who was then the deputy general manager there, visited four locations in Kannur to conduct a technical and feasibility survey as suggested by the Airports Authority of India, which was a major step in the progress of the project.
On December 17, 2010 the then chief minister V S Achuthanandan laid the foundation for the airport and the earthwork began on February 2, 2014, which was inaugurated by the then Union defence minister A K Antony. On July 6, 2014, the foundation stone of the terminal building was laid by the then chief minister Oommen Chandy.
09/12/18 Times of India
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In 1960s, Kannur municipality passed a resolution demanding the central government to set up an airport here. In the 1980s the campaign gained momentum and in the nineties, it got a shape.
“It was based on a feasibility and viability memorandum by the North Malabar Chamber of Commerce in 1995-96, when I was its president, that the project slowly took shape and the then civil aviation minister C M Ibrahim gave the nod for the airport,” said C H Aboobacker Haji, who was one among the early campaigners for the project.
Now, when the Kanur International Airport Ltd (Kial) is being commissioned, it would open up immense possibilities for the north Malabar region and also some parts of Karnataka, in terms of trade and tourism, he said. Though the civil aviation ministry gave the nod, there was not much progress, following which the then E K Nayanar government took the initiative in 1996, to form an action committee, with Pinarayi Vijayan, who was then the minister for electricity and cooperation, as chairman. Incidentally, the inaugural flight is being flagged off by Vijayan himself.
It was during that time a four-member team from Kozhikode airport, under SPS Bakshi, who was then the deputy general manager there, visited four locations in Kannur to conduct a technical and feasibility survey as suggested by the Airports Authority of India, which was a major step in the progress of the project.
On December 17, 2010 the then chief minister V S Achuthanandan laid the foundation for the airport and the earthwork began on February 2, 2014, which was inaugurated by the then Union defence minister A K Antony. On July 6, 2014, the foundation stone of the terminal building was laid by the then chief minister Oommen Chandy.
09/12/18 Times of India
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