Kerala’s Kannur International Airport (KIA) hopes to complete financial closure for the project by the end of December, G. Chandramouli, Managing Director, Kannur International Airport, has said. The new project is being taken up on the build, own and operate model, with the State Government being a partner in the project.

KIA is also in talks with various agencies, including some international multilateral lending agencies and banks, for raising debt worth about Rs 900 crore.

The airport project is one among many being closely monitored by the Prime Minister’s Office, as the Government looks to put the development of infrastructure projects on the fast track.

“By April 2014 we should be in a position to award the city side terminal and control tower. We have ambitious plans to start commercial operations by the end of 2015,” Chandramouli said. Chandramouli was speaking to the Hindu Business Line on the sidelines of the Aviation ICT Forum 2013, organised by SITA in Goa.

A team from the project will travel to Thiruvananthapuram at the end of the month to make a presentation before the apex body of airlines to convince them to consider starting operations from the new airport.

The fact that despite being talked about for the last 8-10 years there has been little or no physical progress on the project, has seen private sector interest in the project dip. Officials said interest is likely to revive as the State Government has acquired the land required for the project.

The eventual opening of the airport would open up opportunities for areas such as Coorg and Mysore in Karnataka, apart from catering to the needs of people in Kerala, company officials said.

(This correspondent’s travel to Goa was sponsored by SITA.)

>ashwini.phadnis@thehindu.co.in

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