The Hindu Business Line : Kerala seeks more international flights

In a letter sent to the companies, the Chief Minister, Mr V.S. Achuthanandan, has offered all help at the Government level to commence the services. He has also asked them to forward their suggestions in this regard to the Government.

The Chief Minister has noted in the letter that the Government has initiated various measures to tap the immense potential the State has in areas such as tourism and information technology. The State has a significant place in the global IT map and many large players in the field have already established their campuses here.

The State offered excellent infrastructure, quality manpower and technological facilities for the growth of such companies and the Government has set rolling a programme for starting techno-cities at Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi and IT townships across the State.

The Chief Minister has expressed the hope that around two lakh job opportunities could be created in the IT field over the next five years. In the area of tourism, too, the State is in the fast track for making a quantum leap in the years to come.

It is against this background that the Government is exploring the possibility of starting more services from the State. The airline companies have been invited to send in their suggestions on a proposal for commencement of daily services from Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode to Bangalore, Mumbai and Chennai, and also in the return direction.

Another proposal is for starting direct flights from the State or via other metros in the country to international destinations such as Frankfurt, London, New York and San Francisco.

The Chief Minister has pointed out in the letter that the Government's objective is to make arrangements to help the people reach their destinations in the State from the airports by road within one hour.