The Kannur international airport has been granted aerodrome licence to start commercial flight operations by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
The mandatory licence needed for the airport, near Mattannur, signed by DGCA B.S. Bhullar, was handed over to Kannur International Airport Ltd (KIAL) in New Delhi on Thursday.
The licence was issued by the DGCA on being assigned with the responsibility of licensing and regulations of aerodromes in the country in accordance with the regulatory provisions contained in the Aircraft Rules 1937. The Aerodrome Standards Directorate in the DGCA is entrusted with the responsibilities of licensing.
Confirming the award of aerodrome licence, KIAL managing director V. Thulasidas told The Hindu that the Kannur airport, the fourth international airport in the State, had thus overcome all hurdles to commence flight operations.
The date of commissioning the airport, on the home turf of the Chief Minister, would be announced soon.
The only formality left for the flight operations was the publication of details of regulations, procedures, and other information pertinent to the operation of aircraft as mandated by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP), the KIAL managing director said.
Airlines could finalise the flight plan only after the AIP was published. The AIP, to be published by the Air Traffic Management wing of the AAI, contained details of regulations, procedures, and other information pertinent to the operation of aircraft. Already, the establishment of the Kannur control area and the aerodrome data of Kannur airport had been published.
Mr. Thulasidas said the publication of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) procedure, the third integral part of the API as per the ICAO norms, was only remaining to be notified. As many as 11 international airlines and six domestic airlines have expressed interest to operate to Kannur. Indian carriers have been given the nod by the Civil Aviation Ministry to operate international flights.