First test flight to Kannur airport deferred (original) (raw)

The maiden touchdown of aircraft at the international airport coming up at Mattannur in Kannur, scheduled on December 31, has been deferred.

Unseasonal rain and the loss of nearly two-and-a-half months have upset the plan of Kannur International Airport Ltd (KIAL) to go for the first test flight at the 3,050-metre runway of the airport, the fourth in the State.

“We have to defer the plan and the new date and the aircraft that will touch down at Kannur will be finalised only by the end of this month. Tentatively, it will be around January 15,” Managing Director, KIAL, G. Chandramouli told The Hindu here on Monday.

The KIAL authorities are in touch with the Indian Air Force to get clearance for the landing of the Code B aircraft without passengers under the Visual Flight Rules. Several airlines, including Air India Express, have evinced interest. “We have to take a call soon,” he added.

The aircraft needs a 2,400-metre strip for the maiden test flight and the authorities are gearing up to ready it by January second week. The runway has been given a bitumen coat.

Commercial flights

Commercial flight operations from Kannur will commence by mid-2016 once the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issues the mandatory clearance, official sources said. Around 70 per cent work of the runway, apron and associated work, and 52 per cent of the integrated terminal building and allied work have been completed.

The Communication Navigation Surveillance (CNS) instruments procured for the airport are on its way and will be installed after the inspection by a team of the CNS and Air Traffic Management Directorate.

The Immigration Network is being put into place in the greenfield airport by the National Informatics Centre (NIC). An NIC team has visited the site to finalise the plans of network.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has been tasked with installing the Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) at the airport.

The Surface Instruments Division of the IMD, Pune, has already initiated steps to procure instruments for the AWOS to ensure safety and efficiency of aircraft operations. The airfield and ground lighting works are on in full swing.

Published - December 09, 2015 12:00 am IST