Kerala’s fourth international airport, the Kannur International Airport, was inaugurated recently amidst much fanfare. The inauguration was marked by a ceremonial lamp being lit by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu in the presence of various ministers, including Sports and Industries Minister EP Jayarajan, and Social Justice and Health Minister KK Shylaja.
Its inaugural commercial flight, a Boeing 737 to Abu Dhabi, was flagged off by CM Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu. On its inaugural day, Air India Express and GoAir flights were operated out of the airport with flights to Thiruvanathapuram, Bengaluru and Delhi.
The Chief Minister, speaking at the event, mentioned that the new airport at Kannur was a source of particular pride and happiness to Kerala. He also said that the airport at Kannur would be useful to people from other states, not just Kerala, such as those travelling to and from Mangaluru, Coorg and Mysore. He also mentioned that the government is conducting studies to uncover logistics around the construction of a new airport at Erumely near Sabarimala to ease access of pilgrims to Sabarimala.
Intriguingly, the airport and its maiden flights have a unique father-son link. When the airport saw its first landing in 2016, of a 228-Dornier Indian Air Force aircraft, one of those present in its cockpit was Kannur-native Raghunath Nambiar.
