National carrier Air India has expressed its readiness to operate what is going to be the first inter-city, intra-State flight to connect the three major cities of Kerala located in a north-to-south alignment.

The service will most likely be launched to coincide with the harvest festival of Onam later next month, the Minister for Excise and Ports, Mr K. Babu, told newspersons here.

AAI STAKE

Earlier, the Minister had attended a conference convened by the Chief Minister to review development work on airports which had apparently stalled after reaching various stages of completion.

He also announced that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) would subscribe to the equity of the up-and-coming Kannur international airport project in North Kerala.

Meanwhile, Mr Babu said that a 40-seater aircraft would be operated on the intra-State sector to connect the cities of Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Kozhikode.

This would also set right an anomaly in that the three international destinations which boasted varied connections to destinations both within the country and without, have so far lacked dedicated connectivity internally.

On its part, the State Government has also taken an internal decision to provide a suitable concession in aviation turbine fuel tax applicable for this service.

AIRPORT CONSULTANCY

According to the Minister, AAI, the airport infrastructure operator, is expected to buy up to 11 per cent of the equity in the Kannur airport project subject to endorsement by its board.

It has been awarded the consultancy for the Kannur, the Minister said, and added that the project report was likely to be made available by November.

State-owned infrastructure developer Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Kinfra) has already acquired 516 acres of land for the project.

Kinfra would shortly transfer this land to the State Government for being conveyed in due course in favour of the special purpose vehicle Kannur International Airport Limited (Kial).

GOVT EQUITY

The land would also serve up as the equity of the State Government in the project, which has been fixed at 26 per cent.

Kinfra proposes to hand over another 730 acres of land on lease to the airport company once the project received the go-ahead from the State Cabinet.

The Minister also said that the Additional Chief Secretary, Mr T. Balakrishnan, and the District Collector, Thiruvananthapuram, Mr P. M. Francis, have been asked to rework on the rehabilitation package for possible evacuees from the additional area to be acquired for developing the Thiruvananthapuram international airport.

At least 157 acres needed for the Karipur (Kozhikode) airport would also be handed over to the airport authorities over the next three months.

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