Demand to allow wide-bodied aircraft at Kozhikode airport
Raising the difficulty by means of a zero hour point out, M V Shreyams Kumar of Loktantrik Janata Dal mentioned Kozhikode airport has been uncared for in utilising its full capability by growing the site visitors and expediting the development works deliberate.
“Kozhikode airport had been one of the high earning airports with revenue of about Rs 160 crores per year. It has been reduced to just above Rs 70 crores now,” he mentioned.
The shifting of Haj embarkation level to Kochi has left about 15,000 pilgrims from Malabar in problem, he mentioned, including worldwide flight site visitors at the airport too has been lowered to half.
“It happened because large aircraft are not allowed operation for the last six months since the Air India crash on August 7, 2020,” he mentioned.
On August 7, 2020, an Air India Express Boeing-737 aircraft repatriating Indians stranded in Dubai due to the pandemic overshot the runway in heavy rain and crashed, leaving 21 lifeless.
Authorities, he mentioned, are ready for the discharge of the report of the enquiry committee entrusted by the DGCA to restart the operation of wide-bodied aircraft at the airport.
“The preliminary enquiry report was to appear at least within a month of the appointment of the committee. But even after six months, the enquiry report has not seen light. Even more, the committee has asked two more months to complete the enquiry,” he mentioned.
Kumar mentioned most Gulf employees from Malabar have been depending on Kozhikode airport for a few years.
Due to the discontinuation of large-bodied aircraft, huge airline firms have withdrawn their providers from Kozhikode airport. Also, many improvement works are delayed together with the extension of runway, new parking space, apron and method highway.
“I request that the enquiry on the air crash be expedited and the report be released. And the wide-bodied aircrafts allowed so that big airlines start operation in Kozhikode,” he added.
