Kochi: The Cochin International Airport has resumed operations on Sunday. The airport operations, which remained suspended for the past three days due to flooding, resumed with an Abu Dhabi-Kochi flight of the Indigo Airlines making the landing at 12.15 PM.
The airport was closed for operations on Thursday night as the flood waters from the Chengal Canal flooded the runway and apron area of the airport. Although the airport officials expressed confidence that the operations could be resumed on Friday the aggravation of the flood situation has extended the closure till Sunday.
The pumping out of water from the canal near the airport is continuing despite the resumption of services.
The water is being pumped to avoid the water from the canal entering the operational areas of the airport. The airport is implementing a project to prevent flooding with Dutch expertise following the closure of the facility for more than two weeks in the August flood in 2018.
Minister calls for CIAL to clear obstructions
Agriculture Minister VS Sunilkumar has urged the CIAL management to take immediate steps to solve the issues connected with the Chengal Canal causing flooding of the airport. The matter came up in a meeting convened by the minister with the representatives of people in Ernakulam district on Sunday. The people’s representatives called upon the CIAL management to find a permanent solution to the flooding of the airport.
