Kannur International Airport Limited (KIAL) to be a reality soon The Kannur International Airport plans to launch commercial operations on May 24, 2016. Trial runs are expected to begin in December this year. The project, involving a capital expenditure of nearly Rs.1,900 crore, has attracted substantial investments from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and only two per cent of the 16 per cent investments open to the public remained unsubscribed. Non-Resident Keralites (NoRKs) are expected to use this window of opportunity. The airport expects its catchment areas to be Coorg and Mysore in Karnataka and the northern districts of Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad, and Kozhikode. The Kannur International Airport(KIAL) is the second greenfield airport setup in the public private partnership (PPP) model in civil aviation infrastructure sector in kerala . The Airport has been planned for development in phases on a modular basis to suit future requirements and also to minimize the initial investments so as to generate revenue at the earliest possible time. The State’s prestigious greenfield Airport project named ‘KIAL’ will be coming up close to Mattannur in Kannur district of Kerala State. It is only 20 kms away from Kannur city, and 2 kms from Mattannur on Kannur – Mattannur – Mysore road. The Airport is strategically located with easy access from NH-17 and SH-30 & 36 . The main Railway line from Kanyakumary to Mumbai is nearest to Airport and it is situated in between Thalasserry and Kannur railway station. Objectives To provide an international gateway in the northern Malabar region with state-of-the art facilities to support safe, efficient and cost effective travel for foreign tourists and ‘non-resident’ Indians from Kerala, as well as domestic passengers. To act as air cargo hub for Malabar Region. To provide a host of commercial, trade promotion and industrial activities that can generate employment opportunities, provide avenues for the trade in traditional products to affluent markets in the Gulf and Europe and to open new vistas in the field of IT & ICT. To promote beach, pilgrimage and health tourism. To transform the North Malabar region into a highly developed growth centre for travel, tourism and industries.
