The Cochin International Airport has been closed down till 3.30 pm on Tuesday due to heavy rain and water-logging on the runway. All flights to Kochi have either been cancelled or diverted till further announcement. Diverted flights flew to Chennai, Coimbatore, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram. It is for the first time that the runway of the Kochi airport has been closed because of floods, and that too for around 30 hours.
The runway was temporarily closed around 10 am on Monday.
But with the rain continuing, a review meeting held at 3.30 pm decided to keep the airport closed for another 24 hours. As part of the efforts to dry up the runway, the airport authorities struck down a portion of the compund wall to let water out of the premises. NOTAM (Notice to Airmen), an alert message to airlines and pilots, was issued in the morning itself. Airport Director A C K Nair said that as NOTAM was issued early enough, airlines had been able to divert their flights to other airports.
According to technical officers, the runway is covered with flood water from the Periyar, more than rain water. The incessant rain that started on Sunday afternoon has caused the Periyar to overflow into the surrounding areas, including the airport.