Calicut airport gets green signal for wide body aircrafts

Wide body aircrafts can now operate from Calicut airport. The application from Saudi Airlines has been approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, allowing them to operate wide body aircrafts.

The airport was partially closed on May 1, 2015, after the Airport Authority of India (AAI) banned operation of wide-bodied aircrafts including Boeing 777 and B747-400 and Airbus 330 for the runway re-carpeting, to ensure safety of passengers.

A convoy of Kerala MPs have visited the Union Aviation Minister several times to seek permission for making the airport fully functional.

Revamping works of the runways to facilitate operation of the wide body aircrafts have been completed recently and a high power committee from the union ministry have visited the airport on Monday to inspect the completed works, prior to granting the permission. Officers from the Mumbai office of Air India were in the inspection team.

Calicut airport has been one of the main embarkation points for Hujj pilgrims every year. Reinstating the functioning of the airport will expected to ease the rush during the pilgrim season. It will also revitalize the economy of Malabar region, which has been grim due to ban of wide body aircrafts.