THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Government has inked MoUs with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for Air Navigation Services (ANS) and Air Traffic Management (ATM) services respectively for the proposed international airport at Kannur.
Both MoUs were signed in New Delhi on November 17, Excise Minister K Babu, who is also handling the Civil Aviation portfolio, said. Under ANS, the airport will get VHF-based communication, Doppler VHF Omnidirectional Radio Range and Distance Measurement Equipment (DOVR/DME), voice recorder, GPS clock systems, instrument landing system, ATS automation, communication lines and radar signals from the Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL).
Under ATM, Kannur airport will get equipment to measure runway visual range, wind speeds and direction and air temperature and satellite maps and photographs. ‘’This is the first greenfield airport project to complete these two important aspects,’’ Babu told a press conference here.
The State Government expects to commission the airport in May 2016 after conducting the trial landings by December 31 2015, he said.
The current length of the runway, 3050 metres, will be sufficient for 25 years, but the government has taken a decision to increase it to 3400 metres, G Chandramouli, managing director, Kannur International Airport Ltd (KIAL), said. ‘’The survey is on,’’ he said.
According to the minister, 14 more houses will have to be acquired for this extension. The government is also in the process of amassing funds for the Rs 1890 crore project, Babu said.