KOCHI: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday inaugurated the 36-acre Aero Park on the CIAL premises, enhancing the Kochi airport beyond conventional airport operations to become an aviation hub.
The chief minister highlighted how CIAL stands as a clear example of how development initiatives implemented over the past decade are reshaping the country. “Through CIAL, Kerala is demonstrating to the world that airports can serve as strong centres of industrial and economic growth,” he said.
“Success of any development depends on adapting to changing times,” Pinarayi said, emphasising that CIAL’s strength lies in its ability to implement timely changes, while consistently providing world-class airport facilities.
Developed as an integrated aviation ecosystem, the Aero Park brings together aircraft hangars, parking bays, training facilities, technical service units and business infrastructure within a single campus. It will function with all the features of a special economic zone and have direct connectivity to both the airport’s operational area and the city side.
“A flagship project of the Kochi airport, the Aero Park will help in creating large-scale employment opportunities, generating significant tax revenue and building future-proof capabilities for the rapidly growing aviation sector,” said CIAL managing director S Suhas.
Presiding over the function, Industries Minister P Rajeeve said the airport’s development model, which prioritises social justice and public welfare is exemplary. He noted that CIAL was the first airport in India to swiftly overcome the crisis faced by the aviation sector during the Covid period, and return to profitability with strong turnover. “The emphasis on business diversification played a key role in this achievement,” Rajeeve pointed out.