KOZHIKODE: Malabar still bets high on the Karipur International Airport as its runway expansion project will usher in development in Kozhikode and Malappuram. The land acquisition for the same is expected to be over in a few months. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) nod for constructing the Runway End Safety Area (RESA) at the airport has also buoyed hopes as airport authorities feel the RESA will boost passenger traffic and cargo movement, bringing in more revenue.
DGCA had banned operation of mini-jumbo aircraft from the airport on May 1, 2015, citing its 2.8-km runway was best suited for narrow-body (Code-D) aircraft. Once it clears the operation of the wide-body Boeing 777- 200 series, Etihad Airways, Emirates and Air India will be able to operate from the airport.