Inaugural function to start at 10 a.m. on December 9

The scheduled inauguration of the Kannur International Airport here on December 9 will be turned into a festive occasion as arrangements are being made to accommodate massive presence of the public to watch the inaugural function and take-off.

The arrangements for the anticipated huge turnout of the people at the new airport to see the inauguration and the inaugural flight were discussed at a meeting at Mattannur on November 11 which was attended by Industries Minister E.P. Jayarajan, Health Minister K.K. Shylaja, Ports Minister Ramachandran Kadannappally, political leaders and people’s representatives. Kannur International Airport Ltd. Managing Director V. Thulasidas also addressed the meeting.

The inaugural function is expected to start at 10 a.m. on December 9. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will flag off the first international flight – an Air India Express commercial flight – to Abu Dhabi, KIAL informed in a handout.

Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu will also be present. The landing of the first flight at the airport will also be a flight from Abu Dhabi.

Organising committee

An organising committee with Mr. Jayarajan as chairman, Mr. Thulasidas as general convener and District Collector Mir Muhammed Ali as convener was formed at a meeting at Mattannur later in the evening. Ministers, MPs, MLAs, people’s representatives political leaders, police officers and trade organisation representatives are members of the organising committee.

The meeting decided to illuminate Mattannur town and nearby Keezhallur in connection with the inaugural function.

The lighting ceremony will be conducted in the main operation terminal and the function will be screened on large video walls. The passengers in the first flight will be received by issuing them boarding pass at 10 a.m.

Mr. Thulasidas told the meeting that apart from Air India, which operates from the first flight from the airport, three other airlines companies are holding discussions with KIAL to finalise the number of services to start from the new airport.

Local bodies help

Transportation, water, waste management, programme coordination on the occasion of the inauguration would be done with the help of local bodies and volunteers from the local area, the pressnote said.