KOCHI: Aiming to provide air connectivity to smaller towns, the state government has expedited the project to develop airstrips across Kerala, by kicking off the process to identify suitable land in Idukki, Kasaragod and Wayanad districts. Joint venture firm RITES-KIIFCON has been tasked with conducting the feasibility study.
“The three district collectors have been directed to finalise suitable land at the earliest. The spots in consideration are in Periya (Kasaragod) and Kalpetta (Wayanad), while a fresh site will be identified in Idukki,” said a senior official with the Chief Minister’s Office.
In Idukki, the National Cadet Corps (NCC) has set up an airstrip at Sathram near Vandiperiyar village for training air wing cadets. The government plans to develop a separate facility to cater to the air passenger traffic.
“The main aim of the airstrips is to facilitate air passenger services. However, they can also be used during emergencies like landslides. The airstrips will cater only to small aircraft like ATR or below,” the official said.
‘Govt to use UDAN scheme to augment tourism connectivity’
Earlier, the cabinet entrusted a joint venture of RITES, a transport consultancy firm, and KIIFCON, a consultancy organisation under the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board, to conduct the feasibility study for developing the three airstrips.
The government had earmarked Rs 20 crore in a previous budget for the development of heliports and airstrips. Finance Minister K N Balagopal, while presenting the 2025-26 state budget, announced allocation of Rs 1.5 crore for the preparation of a detailed project report (DPR) and other preliminary activities to set up airstrips in Idukki, Wayanad and Kasaragod.
The development comes even as two new airlines – Air Kerala and Al Hind – received operational permit from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and are awaiting the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to commence commercial flight operations. Both the airlines plan to provide regional connectivity under the UDAN scheme, and have ordered ATR 72-600 aircraft.
“The Kerala government aims to use the Regional Connectivity Scheme (UDAN), a central project, to formulate schemes to develop heliports, airstrips and water aerodromes for augmenting tourism connectivity,” the official said. Experts view the initiative as the government’s effort to provide air connectivity within the state to make up for the delay in the implementation of the express highway or high-speed rail corridor projects.
“The three districts mentioned have long been in the scheme of things with regard to the futuristic development of the state. If we’re not getting a ‘super highway’ or superfast trains, then airstrips or helipads need to be developed. This is a necessity as the state, relatively narrow in width, is elongated in area,” Kannur airport managing director V Thulasidas had said earlier.
“Airstrips will substantially boost the state’s tourism potential as providing quick and comfortable travel facilities will bring in high net-worth tourists. Another factor is the presence of a large number of NRIs. They will surely prefer to travel by air from small airstrips or helipads to the main airports,” he had said.