Kannur’s New Airport To Give Boost To City And Nearby Towns In North Kerala

The freshly built Kannur International Airport Limited (KIAL), the fourth in Kerala, is expected to pump up Kannur and other neighbouring towns. While businesses in Kannur are now counting on better connectivity for gains, KIAL is counting on the airport for profitable returns.

The airport sprawls over 2,300 acres of land, cost a hefty Rs 2,350 crore and is expected to cost Rs 250 crore per year on maintenance. As many as 1.73 crore passengers flew from Kerala’s airport in the year 2017-18 in which Kochi had a mammoth share of flying 1.02 crore people.

The tourist count in Kerala has been on the rise with a 20 per cent increase in footfalls into Kochi, reports Manorama Online.

The Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) generates revenue of Rs 250 crore per year on average from its duty-free shops. It also benefits from other associated entities like the hydroelectric projects for the state government.