Airports Authority of India (AAI) has announced
the resumption of wide bodied aircraft operations from Calicut International
Airport by M/S. Saudia Airlines from December fifth. Along with the commissioning
of the Greenfield airport at Kannur about fifty kilometers from Calicut, the
Gulf employees of Malabar region of Kerala will have good air connectivity.
The Gulf employees from Malabar region in North
Kerala who constitute a substantial proportion from the state had to depend on
the Cochin international airport for their travel purposes due to limitations
in Calicut airport.
Wide bodied aircraft operations were suspended
from May 2015 due to safety reasons.
Subsequently AAI has taken action for strengthening and re-carpeting of
the runway and grading of runway strip to cater to the requirement of heavy
aircraft operations. In order to improve safety, AAI has also taken measures to
increase the runway end safety area as directed by the regulatory authorities
and installed simple touchdown zone flights on both runways.
Further, a compatibility study and safety
assessment were conducted in accordance with the ICAO guidelines as recommended
by the joint DGCA-AAI inspection team to assess suitability of the aerodrome
for the safe operation of wide bodied aircraft.
Based on the compatibility study report, safety
assessment and risk mitigation measures, DGCA has issued NOC for wide bodied
aircraft from Calicut airport. M/s.
Saudia is commencing their services with wide bodied aircraft
(A330-300/B777-200ER) to Riyadh and Jeddah. The schedule is as follows: The
flights from Jeddah to Calicut and back to Jeddah will be operated from Calicut
airport on Mondays, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. The flight will arrive at
Calicut airport at 11.10 hours and depart at 1.10 pm
The flight from Riyadh will arrive at the same
time at Calicut airport on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday and depart at the same
time.
Calicut International Airport is a profit making
airport run by AAI and handles more than 3 million passengers annually, of
which 2.6 million are international passengers.
The resumption of operation of wide-bodied aircraft
at Calicut airport remained bleak, with the Director General of Civil Aviation
(DGCA) disapproving the compatibility study report submitted by the Airports
Authority of India on the operation of the modern versions of Boeing and Airbus
at the airport three years ago..
Director of Operations (Aero Standards), had
apprised the Calicut airport authorities that the compatibility study report on
the operation of wide-bodied aircraft did not include mitigating measures to be
taken by airline and airport operators in respect of non-compliance with the
formal requirements. |