KOZHIKODE: Passengers forums and industrial organisations have lamented on what they called the step-motherly treatment being meted out to the Karipur International Airport even as the state and Central government are showering supporting schemes to promote the Kannur international Airport Limited (KIAL).
The Central government should take measures to ensure support to save the Karipur International Airport which has been hit with the freebies showered on KIAL, they said.
It may be recalled that major airlines operators have started cutting down services from Karipur airport as they are planning to operate more services from KIAL. Jet Airways has announced cutting down Mumbai-Kozhikode and Kozhikode-Mumbai services from Karipur from February 7.
The number of services will come down from seven in a week to four, according to airline authorities. Earlier, Jet Airways had withdrawn its two international services from Karipur.
Air India has also announced cutting down its Kozhikode-Thiruva-nanthapuram services from seven a week to six.
The Malabar Devel-opment Council has approached the Union ministry of civil aviation and the Airport Authority of India demanding major cuts in taxes for Aviation Turbine Fuel and parking and landing fee for aircraft at Karipur. MDC chairman C.E. Chakk-unni said that being a state owned airport run by Airport Authority of India, it is up to the Union government to ensure that the airport is operating smoothly and is getting all financial support received by other airports.
Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithy president T Naseeruddeen said that the traders’ community is very much sad about the poor condition of the airport. “I hope the state as well as union governments will chip in their share to extend support to the ailing airport”, he said.
