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The authorities are likely to take a second look at the plan to partially shutdown the Kozhikode international airport for 15 months from May 1.
State Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson, who discussed the issue with the Union Civil Aviation Secretary, said a high-level meeting would be held next week to take a decision on this.
The authorities had decided not allow wide-bodied aircraft at Kozhikode in view of the scheduled re-carpeting and strengthening of the runway. Later, for a few months more, such aircraft would he allowed to operate only for certain hours each day.
Around 90 per cent of the traffic at Kozhikode is international, mainly from the Gulf sector. Saudi Airlines, Emirates and Air India are the major operators and some of their flights would be moved to Kochi.
As most of the planes that arrive at Kozhikode are wide-bodied ones, the partial shutdown would drastically impact the international air traffic to and from north Kerala. Keralites working in the Gulf countries will be the worst affected.
Legislators, Gulf Malayali associations and trade bodies had asked the government to reschedule the repairs to the runway to reduce inconvenience to those using the airport.
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