Malappuram: The decision on revoking the ban on wide-bodied (Code E) aircraft at the Calicut International Airport in Karipur still depends on the progress of the land acquisition for the runway expansion. The delegation of top level officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Airports Authority of India (AAI) which inspected the infrastructural facilities and runway on Wednesday stuck to their earlier demand for 248 acres to consider the restoration of operations of jumbo jets.
The final decision regarding this will be taken by the DGCA based on their report. They had also held discussions with Jayashankar Prasad, the deputy collector (land acquisition) to take stock of the progress made in the ongoing land procurement process. During a meeting later with the delegation of Malabar Development Forum (MDF), a Kozhikode-based advocacy group, the team expressed reservation regarding the availability of soil to fill the 248 acres of land yet to be acquired for the further extension of the recently renovated 2850-metre runway.
“The DGCA and AAI official say that the code E aircraft would only be allowed if the state government completes the acquisition of the identified land despite Karipur having enough runway strength for jumbo jets,” said K.M Basheer, chairman of MDF. The government had earlier given sanction to acquire 485 acres, which later stuck with the local resistance. Following an earlier direction from the government, the revenue authorities have beefed up the land acquisition procedures.
